This Old Man
by LetitiaRichards
Summary: Jack’s series of misadventures are bad enough on their own, but deep down is there an ulterior motive behind them? Are they connected? Jack faces the final confrontation. Will he survive it?
1. Chapter 1

_No, you're not seeing things! This is a replacement chapter to my story as I discovered I'd made a few errors in the original chapter so I've now amended them and hopefully can get this site to accept the change - it's already lost my first attempt to do so._

_Thank you all for being so patient with me over the long wait. I've been having a hard time putting the final chapter together. I'm not that happy with the result, but my health has been a real problem this last month, making me wonder if I could still write or if I should just give it up. I don't want to do that if I can help it._

_**The Final chapter** - a very long one - will be coming this way very soon!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1. No copyright infringements are intended. Just borrowing the characters for a little fun and imagination.

Category: Angst, **AU**, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Romance.

Pairings: Sam/Jack.

Spoilers: Smoke & Mirrors, Metamorphosis,

Season: AU late 6, but this story still has Daniel in it. Meridian never happened in this Alternate Universe.

Summary: Jack's series of misadventures are bad enough on their own, but deep down is there an ulterior motive behind them? Are they connected? SG-1 must find the answer before it is too late.

**Notes: This story was inspired by the children's rhyme of the same name, but I've changed some of the words to fit in with my story; as you will see when you read on. **

These are the original words in case you don't know the rhyme:-

_This Old Man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack on my drum,_

_Chorus:_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack, _

_give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home... _

_This old man, he played two,_

_He played nick-nack on my shoe..._

_This old man, he played three,_

_He played nick-nack on my tree..._

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack on my door..._

_This old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack on my hive..._

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack on my sticks... _

_This old man, he played seven,_

_He played nick-nack up to heaven...etc._

**Chapter 1 **

_This Old Man, he played one..._

The removals van parked out front was the only visible sign that Jack's new neighbour was finally moving in. He'd known it for days of course. Old Mrs. Carmody a few doors along knew everything that went on in the street and she'd been quick to point out to him, when he'd been caught by her, that old Mrs. Hopkinson's nephew had inherited the house when she'd passed away several months ago and would therefore be taking up residence there.

Jack had feigned interest, but quite honestly, he wasn't in the least bit concerned. He never mingled with his neighbours much, so he wouldn't have known the difference if it was just any guy moving in. He could have had ten kids for all he knew of the matter. He'd kept himself to himself mostly, perhaps because he was hardly ever there. Being in his position, he spent most of his time down in the bowels of the earth under Cheyenne mountain, gracing the halls of the SGC; when he wasn't off-world that was.

Like now, except he was home for a few days.

It was one of those days following his involuntary exile, where he'd been stuck on a distant planet... er... moon with no-one but Harry Maybourne for company. The fact that he'd had to shoot him, twice, was a real bonus, but then he had been injured himself and that hadn't gone down too well with the General.

So, here he was recuperating with what little time he had left of his sick leave that he had been trying to catch up on some ground work in the garden, now that he could move easier again. The lawn had needed to be mown, the shrubs still needed to be trimmed, and the borders weeded. It was sort of a twisted irony really, especially after spending nearly a month on a planet filled with nothing but greenery. There were other jobs that needed doing of course, but Jack only had so much time and patience, even though his energy was at a premium at the moment, and he was itching to do something. Anything, hence the reason he was working on his garden.

Next week it would be too late to do this, he'd be back at work again and then nothing would get done at all, and the garden would become a jungle by the time he returned - whenever, if he didn't set to and sort it out now. He could have called in a professional but that would never have satisfied his need to work off his restless energy, and this way it was quite therapeutic in more than one way.

It was one of those long, hot, sunny days in June and he was enjoying the feel of a cold beer sliding down his parched throat after a morning spent on his tender knees pulling weeds from the little patch of garden out front. Now he was sitting on the steps of his porch watching the people passing by. The mail man had handed him a handful of assorted envelopes, most of which were heading straight for the trash can, the rest were either reminders of bills to be paid. He glanced through quickly, feeling the edge of disappointment bite when there was nothing at all from his family back in Minnesota. He could only correspond with his sister and then it would be a one-way effort on his part. Dad had long since gone, so had Patrick, the only brother he'd had until an accident had robbed the family of the eldest O'Neill. Miriam and his Mom was all he had left and even when Miriam had deigned to reply it had been a short note stating that Mom was okay and to remind him he was still not welcome so not to bother calling or visiting; as far as his Mom was concerned she wouldn't know him anyway, Miriam had already told him that Mom had Alzheimer's disease, so she had her hands full.

He sighed a little sadly, but straightened the envelopes up and dumped them onto the deck meaning to go through them later.

A shadow fell across him, blotting out the sun's warmth and he glanced up to see why, staring curiously at the tall stranger standing a few feet from his steps. Jack studied him in silence. He was around six feet tall, older than himself, maybe around early to mid sixties, but looking very fit for an old guy, thinking maybe ex-military. Jack assumed he had been a lot fitter at one stage in his life, but the man was running towards a middle aged spread now, and obviously enjoyed his beer. Jack looked down at the beer in his hand and stood it by his side on the porch, suddenly losing interest in it. He looked up again expectantly.

"Hi!" the stranger said. "My name's Gene Thomas. I'm moving in next door. Pleased to meet you Mr...?"

"O'Neill," Jack sighed after a while. He stood up, staying on the bottom step to tower over the man. Jack looked down on him then gave up the pretence. It wouldn't hurt him to appear friendly. "Jack O'Neill."

Gene had thrust out his hand to shake Jack's but hesitated a little when Jack had revealed his identity.

"Do I know you?" Gene asked with a puzzled frown. "I've heard your name before. Fairly recently too, I'm sure."

Jack shrugged and feigned indifference.

"It's a pretty common name. I would guess there are probably hundreds of us Jack O'Neill's, with two 'L's, across the country."

"No. I've seen your face, now I come to think of it." he studied Jack's features while Jack felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny and turned away, ready to return to the house. "I know now!" Thomas cried with what Jack could only describe as glee. "You're Air Force aren't you!" he crowed with a smile. "You're that guy who was supposed to have shot Senator Kinsey a while back. Colonel Jack O'Neill. I knew I'd seen your face somewhere. Your picture was in all the papers. Wow, that was some undercover mission," he sighed contentedly, giving Jack a sharp appraising look. "If it had been me," Gene added wistfully, "I would have shot him for real. Conniving bastard."

Jack couldn't deny it of course. This Gene Thomas was right on all counts. It was about him and Kinsey was a conniving bastard. Proving it though, was the real problem. Jack wasn't particularly happy to be recognised as a hired assassin as such, feeling that his privacy had been invaded by his unwarranted notoriety. He tried to push the unpleasant memory of that time he'd spent in jail to the back of his mind; Kinsey had played him for a fool and he'd fallen right into the trap through no fault of his making. If it wasn't for his honesty and integrity, he'd have killed the man himself after that damn handshake. Even now he could feel the abhorrent hot slippery hand of that slime-ball as it gripped his more tightly than was necessary. He wished that he could wash his hand once more to rid himself of that man's touch. He felt tainted by that touch.

"Yes, well," Jack sighed. "I have to go now Mr. Thomas. Nice to meet you," he said waving a hand in a gesture of goodbye, and turned his back to the man, only to be halted by his next words.

"Please call me Gene," Thomas insisted. "I hope we can be friends Jack? May I call you Jack?"

"Sure. Whatever," Jack turned to face him once more, shrugging, still wanting desperately to escape. He took his chance and spun round quickly, swooping up the mail in his hand and quickly disappearing indoors before Gene Thomas could respond. He could still move when he put his mind to it, despite the stiffness in his aching knees.

Jack watched him from the safety of his hallway, hidden from view behind the blinds at the window.

Gene Thomas stood open mouthed at Jack's abrupt departure, a slight frown furrowing his brow, then he shrugged and retreated, hurrying back to his own yard where the removals personnel were just finishing up. He looked back at Jack's house and smiled. Jack O'Neill wasn't particularly friendly, but he was determined to make him think of him as a friend in the near future. He needed to do this, it was a god given opportunity and he wasn't going to waste it.

OoOoOoOoO

Over the following weeks Jack had encountered Gene Thomas several times more, and each time, Gene had gone out of his way to show he wanted to become a friend. Eventually Jack gave up the idea of shunning him and found that they really had several things in common, chiefly that they had both lost their sons.

Gene had been in the Air Force too, but had never risen above the rank of Master Sergeant, and joked that he should be saluting Jack whenever they met.

Jack brushed that off with a laugh and bowed to the 'senior citizen's' experience, treating him as the revered veteran that he was. They became friends which surprised his team when Jack made excuses for missing the occasional team get-together; he had found a kindred spirit in his neighbour which both pleased and dismayed his team who had yet to meet the man who had befriended their CO; Jack rarely ever mixed work with leisure.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack rapped on the door, bouncing on his toes as he waited impatiently for Gene to answer it. The door swung open.

"Jack?"

"Look. I'm going out of the country for a few days. I wondered if you would look after the place for me? Ya know, take the mail in; check the place over, make sure the place is okay?"

Gene smiled at his friend.

"Sure I will Jack. You don't have to ask you know."

Jack grinned and dropped the key into Gene's palm.

"Will you be gone for long?"

"Nah! Coupla days tops. I can't give you a phone number of where I'm going, sorry, it's classified; but, if you need to contact me, you can ring this number and ask to speak to General Hammond. He's my CO. He'll know how to get a hold of me."

Jack handed over a scrap of paper with a phone number written on it.

Gene held up his hand to stop Jack from saying anything he didn't want to.

"I understand Jack. Air Force, remember? Don't worry, I'll take great care of the place while you're gone."

"Thanks Gene. See ya in a few days!"

"Sure. Take care and dare I say, keep your head down?"

"I will! Thanks!" Jack smirked though he didn't acknowledge the thinly veiled warning about avoiding any enemy fire.

Gene watched Jack walk off, he'd looked worried over something, probably the mission to wherever it was. Still, it didn't matter to Gene where it was, just so long as Jack came back again in one piece. He'd been on countless missions where some of his friends never came home again. And still ached at the one that included his son, and he didn't want to count Jack among those who never returned.

_This old man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack with my gun..._

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_Glad you seemed intrigued by the first chapter. Hope the second one gives you more of an idea where I'm going with this._

_Thanks for the reviews as always._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Gene watched Jack walk off, he'd looked worried over something, probably the mission to wherever it was. Still, it didn't matter to Gene where it was, just so long as Jack came back again in one piece. He'd been on countless missions where some of his friends never came home again, including his son, and he didn't want to count Jack among them.

Chapter 2

_This old man – he played one, _

_He played nick-nack with my gun..._

Jack returned from the mission a few days later, sore and a little stiff, but all of his team had come home in one piece for which he was more than thankful. It had been a hair-raising experience but they had managed to escape complete annihilation this time around, no thanks to Nirrti and her DNA tampering.

Jack wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge, downing it in almost one long pull.

He thumped the bottle down on the table and looked over at the heap of mail sitting neatly on the table. Gene had obviously been taking his duties seriously.

Looking round the room, everything was as it should have been, nothing was out of place. Grabbing the beer again, he wandered from room to room, studying the layout just to see if anything had been tampered with. He should have known better. Gene was a man of honour, nothing had been touched. Sighing with satisfaction, he vowed to call in on Gene tomorrow. It was far too late now, it was after midnight.

The air inside the bedroom was sultry and uncomfortably hot as he'd switched off the air-conditioning before he left and although he'd switched it back on, it hadn't cleared the stuffy atmosphere as yet. It was a hot sticky night in late July and the house had been closed up tight, all of which had made sleeping an impossibility. Plus the fact that Jack's internal clock was still running on Nirrti's planet's time; which to him was still early, around 17:00 or 18:00, so he wasn't really tired. He'd drawn on a pair of thin pale chinos, fastening them loosely, then pulled a white T-shirt over his head.

Now as he walked into the lounge he slid open the patio door and inhaled the cooler night air. The moon was bright and hundreds of stars were peppering the night sky. Stepping out onto the deck, he leaned against the balustrade, his hands wrapped over the warm wooden handrail, and his thoughts fixated on Sam and what she had so recently gone through. They were lucky to have come home at all, and Sam was incredibly lucky that Wodan and Eggar could reverse the damage Nirrti had already done to her DNA.

He couldn't rid himself of the image of Colonel Evanov 'dissolving' like that. That so easily could have been Sam. His Sam. He closed his eyes as he recalled her laying her head on his shoulder; he'd wanted to do so much more for her and wished now that he'd pulled her into his arms. He'd wanted nothing more than to protect her, but he couldn't. He had to appear aloof; he was the Colonel and the CO of the team, and there were others in the cells too. He wouldn't compromise her, despite his deep feelings towards her. No-one knew of their secret affiliation and he wanted to keep it that way. For now, anyway.

He pushed himself away from the balustrade in frustration at his impotence to do anything about his clandestine affair with the female officer on his team and spun round to lean back against the railing, folding his arms across his chest with a deep sigh.

"Oh Sam," he whispered to the stars over the soft breeze that had sprung up. He wanted her here, but Janet had ordered her to stay in the infirmary overnight, just be sure she wasn't suffering from any side effects in the aftermath of the experiment.

A sudden sharp white-hot pain hit him high up on his back and robbed him of his breath. His knees trembled and gave way, dropping him to the deck, blood pouring from the impact of a bullet to his back. He cried out in pain and might have been able to call for help if his head hadn't struck the corner of the solid wooden chair when he crumpled under the agony, but now darkness flooded his mind as his consciousness fled.

The dark figure furtively crept from the dark recesses of his yard keeping to the shadows beneath the tall trees. He tossed the still smoking 9mm pistol onto the lawn; returning it to its rightful owner with an evil smirk; a stark reminder of the terrible deed he'd just committed.

OoOoOoOoO

Gene couldn't sleep. Jack should have been home yesterday according to his last words, but there had been no sign of him and he was worried for his newest friend.

He got up and pulled on his sweat pants, pushing his feet into worn sneakers and headed for the kitchen to put a little milk on to warm through, thinking that maybe some hot milk or chocolate might just be the thing he needed to relax and settle enough for sleep to come.

He stood at the open door; the summer scents wafting in from the rose garden.

He was about to turn back to the microwave when he thought he heard a noise; like someone crying out in pain and the scraping of furniture on wood.

Walking out onto the lawn he glanced over the fence at Jack's house. Seeing a light on in the kitchen, he stopped to wonder if this was Jack having returned or perhaps a robber who was taking advantage of the house being empty. Picking up a weapon of sorts...an old hockey stick...he hurried over to see who was around.

He silently let himself into the front door. Straight away in the filtered light from the kitchen he spotted Jack's overnight bag sitting in the corner of the hall where Jack had obviously dropped it on entry. He called out to his friend, more as a warning not to hit out at him thinking he was a burglar.

"Jack?" he called but there wasn't any answer to his summons. "Hey Jack! It's me, Gene!"

He felt the breeze coming in from the lounge and peered round the corner, seeing the patio door open.

Smiling to himself, he stepped down into the room and headed towards the patio.

"Hey Jack! You're..."

Stopping in his tracks, his voice trailed off when he saw a hand lying on the deck, the rest of the body hidden by the wooden bench seat and the table. He gasped in horror and he ran out onto the deck to see his friend's inert body lying there.

Jack was lying crumpled on the deck half naked, and bleeding profusely from what looked like a bullet wound high up on his back.

Dropping to his knees, he felt for a pulse, relieved beyond measure when he felt the reassuring throb beneath his fingers. Leaving Jack where he was, he ran back into the house and grabbed the phone, dialling up the emergency services, then snatched up a towel from the kitchen and the blanket lying across the back of the sofa to cover his friend with, attempting to stave off the shock, whilst pressing a towel tightly against the wound.

OoOoOoOoO

"Hello? Is that General Hammond?" Gene's voice quivered a little as he was put through to someone in authority.

"This is General Hammond. Who is this and how did you get this number?"

"Ah, General. You don't know me, my name is Gene Thomas. I'm Jack O'Neill's neighbour..."

The name rang a bell with the General now, and he noted that Mr. Thomas sounded highly agitated. And with that realisation, came a dread. A dread that something might be wrong with Jack. Something perhaps they must have missed from the last mission? He calmed himself enough to respond without his voice trembling.

"What can I do for you Mr. Thomas?"

"General Hammond, sir...I'm at the Academy hospital. It's about Jack. He's been shot."

Hammond almost dropped the phone in shock.

"Shot?" he gasped in disbelief. The dread he'd felt before, came back ten fold with those words and Hammond braced himself to hear the worst.

"I found him lying on his decking around twenty minutes ago, and dialled 911. I told them he was Air Force and that he should be brought here. They've taken him into surgery. I thought you should know."

"Yes, thank you Mr. Thomas. I'll be there shortly."

Hammond rang off almost immediately and dialled the infirmary, glad that he had decided to work late tonight.

"Fraiser!" the feminine voice answered.

"We have an emergency Doctor," Hammond barked, already packing away his lap-top computer and making a grab for his jacket. "Colonel O'Neill has been taken to the Academy hospital with a gunshot wound."

Janet Fraiser, the Chief Medical Officer of the SGC had seen many strange and terrifying sights, and dealt with numerous alien induced crises over the past six years, but Hammond's words had stunned her.

"Sir?"

"Meet me up top Doctor. We need to get to the hospital."

"Yes sir," she said slipping into gear, now that she was over the initial shock.

_This old man, he played one, _

_He played nick-nack with my gun, _

_With a nick-nack paddy whack... _

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_Another chapter for all you folks out there, just to keep you happy._

_Thanks for all your reviews, as always, much appreciated._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

"Meet me up top Doctor. We need to get to the hospital."

"Yes sir," she said slipping into gear, now that she was over the initial shock.

Chapter 3

_This old man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack with my gun,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack... _

They arrived at the hospital in good time. Being the early hours of the morning there wasn't a lot of traffic about so they didn't get held up.

Janet hurried through the double doors on her way to the ER to see her colleague, while Hammond headed to the waiting room where he found the sole occupant pacing backwards and forwards.

"Mr. Thomas?" he asked.

Gene stopped pacing, and turned to face a shorter portly man, dressed in the military uniform of a Major General in the USAF.

"General Hammond I presume?" Gene smiled thinly, thrusting out a shaky hand in greeting.

George Hammond shook the offered hand and nodded.

"Have they told you anything new about Colonel O'Neill yet?" Gene asked, desperate for some reassurance.

"Not yet, but then I've only just arrived, but our CMO is making the necessary inquiries. She'll pass on the information the minute she finds out for herself."

"Jack is very lucky to have you as his CO General," Gene said, with a tight smile. He took a seat, staring out at the dark through the window, but seeing only his and George's reflection staring back at him. "It was pure luck that I happened to be up and heard Jack cry out like he had. If I had been asleep," he paused for a moment, continuing with a choked voice, "...he could have lain there all night and bled to death."

Hammond closed his eyes as if in pain. He hated to think about Jack dying there like that. The man had done so much for this world, and to be shot in the back by someone in his own back yard was beyond the General's comprehension. Those nagging questions of 'Why?' and 'Who?' kept coming back to haunt him. Why had Jack been singled out? Who would do such a thing? What had Jack done to deserve this? Was it someone out for revenge? Could it be a simple case of an attempted robbery gone wrong? Or was there something far more sinister going on that Jack had been marked for – perhaps - termination? Maybe it was a little retaliation? Something from his Black Ops days that had come back to bite him in the ass? But then, was he just being a suspicious old cynic? There were just so many possibilities that it made George's head spin.

"Are you okay General Hammond?" Gene asked when the officer looked pale and worn under the harsh lights and his eyes had remained closed for some minutes.

Hammond smiled benevolently and nodded at Gene.

"I'm just worried about Jack is all. Just wondering who could do this to him or why?"

At that moment the door opened and a rumpled looking Sam entered the room, followed by the big Jaffa Teal'c. Daniel entered a few seconds later with the ubiquitous cup of coffee in one hand.

"Sir? Any news?" Sam asked, desperate to know how Jack was.

"Not yet Major," Hammond had replied with a heavy sigh wishing that Janet would hurry up and report back to him.

Gene's eyes had almost bugged out of his head when he heard the General address Sam as Major. They didn't make them like that when he was in service. He wondered what, if any, was the relationship between her and Jack, and if they were together in the normal sense of the word or if they were merely part of a working team. He looked her up and down, thinking that Jack was one lucky SOB to have this attractive, leggy blonde care this much for him, no matter what their connection.

Daniel sighed and sat down on one of the chairs next to Sam, holding her hand as she bit back the threatening tears.

Gene had noticed the moisture glistening in her eyes but didn't know if the General had, or if he realised what the implications meant...or even cared or it mattered.

Hammond suddenly recalled his manners and introduced Gene to Jack's team, telling them that it was Gene who had found Jack and had most probably saved his life.

Of course Jack had spoken highly of his team, but this was the first time Gene had actually met them. He nodded and shook hands with all of them, wincing slightly when Teal'c's grip was stronger than he'd bargained for.

When the door opened once more they had all leapt to their feet, hoping it was Janet with some news, but it was a security guard who addressed the General with a salute.

"Sir? We found this in Colonel O'Neill's yard sir. It has been fired General. The serial number is listed as Colonel O'Neill's personal weapon sir."

He held up a clear plastic bag with Jack's gun clearly showing on the inside.

"Could he have fired it in self defence?" Sam asked. Bewildered at the sight of a silencer sitting on the end of the barrel.

"I don't think so Ma'am," he replied seriously, making Hammond and Sam look up at him.

"No?" Daniel asked, also puzzled. "Why not, if it was in Jack's possession?"

"Colonel O'Neill was found on his decking, having fallen exactly where we believe he was shot. This 9ml pistol was discovered at the other end of the yard sir. It looks as if someone else had possession of the weapon when it was fired sir, Ma'am. There was no other sign of blood anywhere other than on the decking, and Colonel O'Neill was unarmed when he was discovered. And if it was in self defence, then Colonel O'Neill would have no need to use a silencer, sir."

The truth of this statement hit home but didn't make the outcome any easier to deal with.

"Thank you Colonel. Carry on," Hammond ordered, drawing out a deep huff of frustration over the mystery surrounding the shooting.

The Colonel saluted and turned, stepping quickly from the room to return to his duties.

This time the door didn't have chance to close behind him when Janet walked into the room on the heels of the exiting Colonel.

"Janet?" Sam cried as soon as she saw her friend.

Janet smiled which meant that they were reassured Jack would be okay eventually.

"Colonel O'Neill was shot with a 9ml General. It entered his back and lodged in the right scapula. He was extremely lucky sir. It could have killed him if the shot had been just an inch or two further to the left. He's in recovery right now, and once he has come round I'll see him settled into the ICU and then review his condition in 24 hours sir. I will expect him to make a full recovery in a few weeks General."

Sam and Daniel sighed with relief and slumped back heavily into their respective chairs. Hammond blew out a deep sigh and thanked god for preserving Jack's life. Teal'c's persistent scowl lightened considerably and Gene let out a little murmur of thanks, which told of the release from pent up concern.

"Can we see him?" Daniel begged, and Dr. Fraiser nodded.

"Just briefly. He's been asking for you," Janet informed them. It didn't matter who the injured party was where SG-1 was concerned, whoever it was, always on coming round, they asked to see their team-mates; needing reassurance that all was well with their 'family'.

Janet received a quick nod from the General who felt that now Jack was out of danger, it was time to go home and get at least a couple of hours sleep before he returned to the mountain. The doctor led SG-1 out of the room, leaving Gene and the General alone.

"I'd better go," Gene said with a wan smile. "I'm glad Jack's gonna be okay. I won't stay. Just pass on my good wishes for a speedy recovery and tell him I'll look after the house and that I'll see him when he gets home."

"You don't want to go in and see him and tell him yourself?"

"No. It's okay. Jack will understand, I'm sure. It's been nice to meet you General. Goodbye!"

Gene shook hands once more and left the hospital, driving home and falling into bed for a long sleep now he knew Jack was going to be okay.

OoOoOoOoO

The monitor beeped incessantly which was reassuring in itself. The last thing Sam needed was to hear it stop. Not that Jack was in that much danger of dying, but it was a deep seated fear which stalked her every hour, awake or asleep, when Jack was hurt.

He was out of it for now, pulled under by the drugs into a deep healing sleep. Janet had grudgingly agreed that she could stay, in fact she had been most insistent that if she was staying there for a while, then she should be checked up on every hour or so too. If Jack hadn't been injured then she would have been subjected to the regular tests during her overnight stay in the infirmary, but as they could do them here, Janet was happy to go with that arrangement.

The door opened and a nurse entered, smiling broadly at Sam. She watched the nurse check Jack's vitals and then the Major sighed with reluctance and offered her arm out to the nurse ready for her blood pressure to be taken and for her to yield yet another vial of blood. At this rate she wouldn't have much left to run through her veins. The pressure and temperature duly noted in her file, Sam was once more left alone to sit vigil over the love of her life.

Eyelids fluttered, and those long lashes parted to show a sliver of chocolate iris beneath. Sam's face lit up when Jack focused on her.

"Sam?" His voice was paper thin and dry.

"Hi there," she sighed, her smile decidedly wobbly; her eyes filling with unshed tears of relief. She offered him a sip of water from the straw in the glass and he swallowed a couple of mouthfuls gratefully.

Putting the glass back, she took hold of his hand again and gripped it tighter, bringing it to her lips to sweep a soft kiss over his knuckles.

He grinned back sleepily.

"Love you!" he whispered.

"I love you too Jack! Are you in pain?"

He shook his head slightly in denial.

"Nope. Too dopey from the drugs to feel anything I guess," was his sleepy reply. His eyelids were heavy and they slipped closed again, but he forced them upwards, not wanting to fall back into the darkness of oblivion just yet.

"You okay?" he asked, recalling that she should be in the infirmary.

"I'm better now I know you're gonna be okay," she said, smoothing her hand over his cheek, avoiding the deep bruising over his eye from his fall.

He leaned into it and sighed with satisfaction. He loved her hands caressing him.

"Have they found out anything yet? Like, why me?"

"Nothing as yet," she sighed regretfully, looking down at the bedclothes.

"What is it?" he asked, knowing she was hiding something from him.

She sucked in a huge sigh and bit her lip, unsure whether to tell him or not.

"Hey!" he cried, dragging her attention back to him. "Tell me!" he practically ordered.

"They found the weapon that was used to shoot you."

"Yeah? Where?"

"It was at the end of your yard. Jack, it was your personal weapon. Your 9ml. The one you keep at home; the one that Charlie..."

"Crap!" Jack snapped angrily. "How the hell did they get hold of that?"

"I don't know. How did they know it was there?" she asked plaintively, knowing that Jack kept it hidden away out of sight and probably hadn't taken it out to clean it in months if not years.

He swallowed painfully, the shocking thoughts and ramifications rifling though his mind at the memory of his son shooting himself with it and he hadn't missed the irony that it had been used to try and kill him too.

Who could have done such a thing to him? There's no way it could have been Sara; that thought was just plain stupid. She just wouldn't! Would she? Did anyone else know of the gun's history? He couldn't for one minute believe that those who did know would try to murder him; the only safe way to think was that it just happened to be coincidental. But, and here was the cruncher...when was it taken from it's hidden location? How did they achieve taking it without him knowing it was actually missing? He hadn't looked at it for years now. He hadn't needed to, not after having made his peace with the alternate Charlie; that alien lump of crystal which had formed itself into his dead son. He hadn't needed to. And why that gun, when he'd kept his latest 9ml in his bedside drawer and it was still there as far as he knew. It was all a mystery.

"Jack?"

"Huh?" he answered absently, trying to pull his thoughts together.

"Are you okay? You sort of blanked out on me there for a while."

"Sorry. Tired still I guess!" he prevaricated.

"Stop worrying and go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," Sam said, smiling deeply.

Jack nodded, but didn't think he could sleep when there were so many questions were flying round inside his head, but then the nurse came in and with a deep smile at his haggard face, she adjusted the drip and he found himself unable to stay awake.

"Doctor Fraiser's orders Colonel," she answered his unspoken question.

He muttered a few less than dignified words about dictators before his consciousness slipped away once more.

_This old man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack with my gun..._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack, _

_give the dog a bone,_

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long. RL butted in again, just when I didn't need it._

_Thanks for all your wonderful reviews as always._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

He muttered a few less than dignified words about dictators before his consciousness slipped away once more.

Chapter 4

_This old man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack with my gun..._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack, _

_give the dog a bone…_

Daniel steadied Jack as he stepped from the car, slamming the car door behind him which made Jack cringe from the loud noise.

"It's a good thing that isn't my truck Daniel!" Jack sighed wearily. He was in pain and still a little unsteady on wobbly legs. Not that he would admit that to anyone, not even Janet. There was no way he would allow any of them to drive his beloved motor, let alone slam the doors on it like Daniel had just now demonstrated using his own car.

As usual, he'd badgered the Doc into letting him out of the hospital early for good behaviour, telling her that he had enough 'baby-sitters' that would be looking out for him, to supply the whole of Colorado Springs' parents for a month. Janet hadn't been amused but had given in because he had been right about being looked after. All of his team were going to watch over him, and Gene had promised to pop in to see if he needed anything too.

Jack shook off Daniel's hand from his good arm, complaining that he didn't need help; he wasn't an old man just yet, and it was only his shoulder that was injured not his legs!

Daniel pulled his hands from Jack's arm and held them out in frustration. Jack could be sooo grouchy when he was recovering from an injury.

"Okay! Have it your own way Jack, but don't forget when you fall onto your ass half way to your own front door that I offered to help you," Daniel retorted testily.

Jack stopped, sighing, his head drooping with resignation.

"I'm sorry Daniel. I know you meant well, but I need to do this."

Daniel placed a hand onto Jack's good shoulder briefly, and patted it before withdrawing it altogether.

"I know Jack, but just for once I wish you'd let us help instead of pushing us away. You don't have to do this on your own, you know! You're not alone, and we're not gonna disappear overnight. We're your friends Jack. We can't help caring for you."

If anything, Jack's head dipped even lower in remorse, until Daniel thought he might topple over or drop to his knees on the concrete driveway.

"Jack?" Daniel stopped beside his friend and tried to peer up underneath to see into Jack's face.

"Please!"

The single word strangled from Jack's tight throat, unused to pleading, motivated Daniel to step back and regroup.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to...smother you. It's just... I...er...we, care about you," he stuttered with embarrassment.

"I know!" Jack whispered tilting his head up towards the bright blue cloudless sky and blinking away the gathering moisture. He was touched by Daniel's earnest statement, but couldn't allow him to know that.

He straightened up again and staggered a little towards the house. He was thankful he didn't end up falling on his ass in front of anyone, especially Daniel who was still stood in the same spot watching him. Jack could feel his friend's eyes boring into his back as he'd walked away.

Jack eased himself into his favourite chair and laid back gently, unwilling to put too much pressure on his shoulder, so he sat slightly sideways.

Sam hovered in the background. She had taken it on herself to refill his fridge and clean out the bad stuff festering in there and anywhere else in his cupboards. He may only have been in the hospital for just over a week, but it had felt like forever.

Jack wanted nothing more than to be left alone, but he knew that was an impossible dream right now. Janet had been adamant on that point. If any of them had to stick around he hoped it would be Sam. He had been so close to losing her on that last mission, and now this. Did she feel the same way about this attempt on his life as he had when he was forced to watch her body breaking down molecule by molecule? Did she feel as helpless as he had at the time? He didn't know, and he so needed to talk to her. It didn't count in the hospital where they were under constant supervision and interruptions were common place. The main problem to that was how to get rid of Daniel and Teal'c for an hour or so.

He lay back against the strategically placed pillow and closed his eyes for a moment, letting the hushed conversation wash over him.

The next thing he knew, Sam was gently shaking his right arm, rousing him from a restful sleep.

"Huh?" he mumbled, only half awake. "What?"

"Time for your medication Jack," Sam said with a smile. She was crouched down to his level and he was so captivated by the blue in her eyes that he took the pills and downed them without a thought.

He swallowed a mouthful of water from the glass she offered him before she stood up and returned to the kitchen.

Jack blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked round. The room was empty and silent, the quiet disturbed only by the ticking of the clock on the mantle. Twilight crept over the open patio doors and the evening stars began to dot the sky he could see through the gap. He was surprised that he had actually slept away the afternoon.

Sam came back in and flicked on the lamp banishing the last of the daylight to the west and darkness now surrounded the house. He realised when he went to move to a more comfortable position, that someone had thrown a blanket over him to keep the evening chill from his body, but he found it more painful than he was comfortable with in keeping his discomfort hidden. Sam had understood though, that's why she was ready to give him his pain killers when he woke.

"Where is everyone?" he asked, wondering where the rest of his team were hiding, all the while trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"General Hammond rang just after lunch. They needed Daniel for a translation. He should be back sometime tonight when he's done."

"Right." He paused wondering where to start. He so desperately wanted to talk to her; but it was so personal and he was absolutely crap at dealing with emotions. That was the reason Sara had left him wasn't it, because he couldn't open up and talk about things? He ruthlessly pushed that recollection to the back of his mind and tried to think of something to say to get the ball rolling.

Sam could see he was struggling to say something, and she could only hope that it was about what she had been dreaming about for years now. It was looking like she was going to have to start this conversation with something.

"Jack..."

"Carter... Sam..."

They both stopped after speaking at the same time.

"After you Sam."

"No, it's okay. You first."

"It's...nothing. I'm...hungry is all," 'Oh god, how pathetic was that?' he remonstrated with himself.

Sam jumped up from the sofa, backing out of the room.

"I put some lunch by for you. I'll just go and heat it up."

Before Jack could object, she was out of the room, up the few steps and bustling about in the kitchen. He swiped his left hand over his face and up through his greying hair, feeling every bit of his debilitating weakness. He closed his eyes leaning against the back of the chair awkwardly, his side aching from keeping to one position for too long; his pillows needed fluffing up, something he couldn't manage on his own...not yet anyway.

"Here you are. Some soup and crackers. Just what the Doctor ordered," she said with a wide grin, knowing how much he hated a light diet.

She placed the tray on the coffee table and helped him to sit up a little, thankfully plumping the pillows in the process. He sank back into them with a sigh; the ache in his side, easing a little as he turned slightly, gently, but he still couldn't hold back a grimace of pain, despite the medication.

"You okay?" she asked noting his tight expression.

"Yeah. My butt was going to sleep. I needed to move!"

Sam snorted a little, and he looked up at her, trying hard not to smirk too.

"No giggling Major!" he ordered, but his eyes had smiled with amusement even if he his lips hadn't.

She helped him to get more comfortable then handed him the mug of soup, knowing he would be able to drink it rather than spoon it up for himself. The plate of crackers she balanced on his knees. She watched him sip at the warm broth, closing his eyes to savour the taste of the chicken and noodles and was surprised when he didn't argue about having real food to eat.

"Jack?"

The cup stopped halfway to his mouth and he looked up sharply.

"Sam?" he retaliated, hoping that this might be the opening he needed.

She smiled at that, and he smiled in return.

"I've been thinking," she said, a little more courageously. "About what happened..." She dropped down to squat on her haunches by his chair.

"Yeah?" he asked between sips, though she had his undivided attention; his dark, deep set chocolate eyes were fixed onto her blue ones, leaving her a little breathless with anticipation.

"I mean... this thing...between us..." she dithered, trying to find the right words.

"It's still there Sam. I haven't suddenly changed my mind," he said, interrupting her chain of thought.

She was silent for a moment, looking at him closely but unable to read the expression on his rugged, yet handsome face as he studied her.

"Oh!" she cried, sounding disappointed, dropping her eyes to the floor and making to rise from her position next to him.

"What?" he asked now confused. Didn't she want him any more? "Sam?"

"I thought that we...I thought this is what you wanted?" She sounded so pathetic, that Jack had to think very hard about what she was driving at.

"I thought that's what I was saying?" he shrugged in bewilderment.

"Oh!" she cried, the truth finally dawning. She'd misunderstood his meaning. "I do, I thought you meant... Never mind!" She dropped down beside him again, this time taking his lax hand in hers.

He handed her the empty mug and the uneaten crackers and waited until she'd put them back onto the table before taking her hand in his good one.

"I want this... Actually I really, really want more than this," he said, holding up their entwined fingers, "...more than anything. This was a sort of epiphany for me. One more nail in my coffin so to speak Sam. I won't leave things like this any longer, unless you want me to."

"No. I mean. I really want us to be together properly, not just our friendly get togethers. My feelings have changed; they've deepened over this, I don't want to wait any longer Jack."

"Sam. I...I want to ask you something; something important."

"What is it?"

"You know how much I love you, and this has made me realise that life is too short to waste another minute. I need you in my life, every minute of every day. Sam, would you consider marrying me? I know I'm not much of a catch, but..." He gave a small one sided shrug, hoping against hope that they could make a go of it.

Her face creased, and she couldn't hold back the tears of joy at his proposal. She needed to taste his lips, to be sure if he really meant it.

She drew her face closer to his, her lips puckering a little waiting expectantly and he leaned over slightly as much as he could to kiss her; to show her how much he loved her. The spark was immediate and shot both pulses racing. They both drew back, more than elated by the brief contact.

Sam was ready for something deeper, her heart swelling with love as she pushed herself towards his lips once more.

"Oh god Jack I..."

"Sam! Jack!"

Sam almost fell back in shock, and Jack had jerked away and couldn't help the curse wrenched from his throat when a fresh stab of pain shot through his shoulder.

Daniel and Teal'c entered the room just in time to see Jack's face crease up in agony. Ignoring the fact that Sam was inelegantly sitting on the floor by his side, his concern for his friend grew.

_This old man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack with my gun..._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack, _

_give the dog a bone…_

_This old man came rolling home!_

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks as always for your reviews. They're much appreciated. Glad you're enjoying the story so far._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Daniel and Teal'c entered the room just in time to see Jack's face crease up in agony. Ignoring the fact that Sam was inelegantly sitting on the floor by his side, his concern for his friend grew.

Chapter 5

_This old man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack with my gun..._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack, _

_give the dog a bone…_

_This old man came rolling home!_

"Jack!" he cried once more rushing to his side, a hand reaching out to the uninjured shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Sam stood up and all but glared at Teal'c when he raised an eyebrow at her compromising position; she picked up the lunch things, heading for the kitchen miffed with her team-mates for their untimely entrance.

Jack took a few deep breaths to calm his body in order to push away the pain; both from his hasty movements and from having his desire ruthlessly squashed by their intrusion into what had been a most intimate moment. One he'd only been able to dream of for the past few years.

"I'm fine Daniel!" he grumbled bad temperedly. He had been sooo close! He was still waiting for her answer. He could hear Sam banging about in the kitchen now, and knew without a doubt she was feeling the same irritation at their friends as he was right now. Of all the times to chose an entrance it had to be right then. Oiy!

"Do you need an pain medication? Have you had any while we've been out? Sam!" he turned and yelled accusingly towards the hallway.

"Daniel!" Jack barked with impatience.

Daniel turned innocent eyes back to his friend.

"What?"

"I've had my damn pills. Sa...Carter gave them to me not one hour ago!" he all but yelled. "I'm fine! I just...you made me jump is all, and I jerked back. It hurt! Okay?"

"Oh. Sorry. I...I thought..." Daniel answered, bewildered at his friend's temper and black mood.

"Well don't. Just..." Jack waved a tired hand at the archaeologist and sighed heavily. "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed."

Of course, saying you will go to bed and actually getting out of the chair and doing it were two very different things. He struggled to sit forward, but Daniel and Teal'c were there to help him.

Sam who had overheard him, went ahead to turn down the covers and put plenty of pillows there for his comfort. A glass of water and his tablets were placed on the bedside table too, ready for when he needed them.

Although he was sitting on the side of the bed now, his eyes tracked Sam as she left them to help Jack get ready for bed. It was still early, but Jack felt drained and tired and now he felt tetchy too. Once outside the room, Sam turned and their eyes met, promising to talk about it later. She smiled shyly, then moved out of sight, though he listened for her footsteps as they sounded down the hall until Daniel was tugging his shirt off and then he was fighting to quell the awakened pain once more.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack and Sam never did have the time nor the opportunity to speak on the subject further. SG-1 led by Major Coburn was called away on an urgent mission, and so Jack spent most of his recovery under the watchful eye of his new friend and neighbour, Gene Thomas.

Gene had been a regular visitor while he'd been in the hospital and at his house during his convalescence and had gotten to know the rest of the team quite well. Jack was more than happy that they all seemed to get on well.

There was still this air of tension around Sam, but Jack resolved himself into waiting for the right time to take it further. He wouldn't make a move until Sam was ready; and for the answer to that one important question, he would have to wait for her to return.

All was not well though, and SG-1 had been taken prisoners by the natives

Of course Jack worried like hell, but one of the things that had kept him sane was his regular trips to the local Ice rink where he'd been helping Gene to coach the younger boys in Hockey. And, as Gene realised Jack was better than he was, he volunteered to help with the refreshments while leaving things to Jack.

For Jack, finally getting back onto the ice and playing the game he loved surrounded by the kids was a delight, and one which Gene never tired of watching. Jack was so good with them; he never had any problems with tempers or fights between them, he kept them all towing the line, and they seemed happy to do so. Gene realised they would do anything for Jack and resulted in a bout of melancholy. Hockey was the be all and end all of his son's life as was the air force and it was painful to watch these kids having fun with Jack.

Jack's fitness returned with those regular outings to the rink which helped him not to think too hard about how his team were faring. His shoulder healed and the incident was quickly brushed under the carpet; the culprit still at large; the theft of his own pistol, only to be used to try and kill him outside his own house, was still mystifying. No other attempts had been orchestrated against him and Jack tried to bury the nagging feeling of being haunted, to the back of his mind.

To Jack's great relief, SG-1 had finally been returned to the SGC; no-one had been seriously hurt, and all had been checked out and passed relatively fit if a little undernourished by Janet Fraiser. So now SG-1 had a week's leave to recuperate from their latest ordeal.

Jack was due back to work full time on Monday morning, the end of the eigth week since the shooting. He'd been cleared for light duties, while Sam was off-world so he still had to wait for that right time to arise. It been one hell of a long lonely coupla week for Jack without those visits to her lab, or Daniel's come to that! He'd have no-one that he could pester at all.

But, it was the weekend now, and Sam had asked that they get together before Monday came round. The problem was, he'd been committed to help with the kids' game on Sunday. A friendly with a State rival, and he'd already promised he would be there. Sam shrugged. If she couldn't beat them, then the only thing left was to join them; so there she was sitting behind the box wrapped up in an overcoat watching Jack yelling encouragement to the kids on a Sunday afternoon.

She watched with wonder as the kids did everything Jack asked of them and were rewarded by a win which encouraged them greatly.

The dressing room was full of excited chattering, but finally the last of the kids left and Jack, Sam and Gene were left to clear away the debris.

"So, what's on for tonight then?" Jack asked picking up another dirty towel with his finger tips and turning his nose up at the state of it.

When he didn't receive an answer straight away, he looked up, first at Sam, and then at Gene.

"Well?" he persisted. "It was just a question!" he sighed raising hands in mild frustration.

Sam blushed, Jack noticed, and Gene shrugged. Jack knew with whom he'd rather spend the evening.

"Actually I thought we could all go out and celebrate. If you guys don't mind that is. I already booked a table at Nicki's."

Jack swallowed his disappointment and nodded, giving Sam a tight smile of apology.

"Sure, why not. Meet you there," Sam agreed, avoiding looking at Jack just then.

"Sounds like a plan," Jack said, covering his true feelings.

They could finish up the meal and then make their excuses.

OoOoOoOoO

"Pizza huh? Sweet!" Jack exclaimed when their meal arrived at the table, along with some cold bottles of beer.

"Wow, the service here is great," Jack exclaimed. It was the first time he'd been to the place.

"The guy who owns it is an old Air Force buddy. I bumped into him by accident. Didn't even know he lived in the Springs."

"Lucky us; look at this lot. You expect us to eat all this?" Jack gasped as he took in the amount of food arrayed in front of him.

"Frattelli will be very disappointed if you don't Jack."

"Oiy!" Jack sighed in resignation and tucked into the huge meal.

The conversation around the table was light hearted and flowed easily, although Gene noticed the smouldering looks that passed between the two of his friends and it made him uncomfortable. He felt as if they didn't really want to be there but it was too late now.

Eventually when most of the food had been eaten, even Jack had had enough and blew out a bloated breath.

"Oh god! I'm stuffed. So, what's next on the agenda?"

"Actually, I was thinking of going for a run. I want to loosen up a little. I'm still stiff from our last mission," Sam explained. "And after that I need it too." Sam waved a hand at the mostly empty plates.

"Would you mind?" Jack asked, turning to Gene suddenly.

"No. You two go. I'll finish up here. Go on! I'll see you tomorrow Jack."

"You sure?"

Gene cast him an exasperated look, making Jack smirk and Sam blush even further. Gene may not be privy with their actual relationship, but Jack knew his friend wasn't opposed to anything developing between the two of them. Maybe it was only a run but at lest they could finally be alone together. He suspected that Sam had suggested it, knowing Gene wouldn't want to go with them, and that was fine by him. He needed to walk it off too.

Jack looked down at his shoes and his chinos and jacket, and sighed.

"I'll have to call home first and change."

"Uh... I have my gear with me. We can go to your house and change," Sam said sneakily, giving Gene a quick look.

"Ah sure," Jack added.

Gene insisted paying the check and said his goodbye as everyone piled into the cars for the journey home.

OoOoOoOoO

"Ready?" Sam enquired when she walked into the room again, like Jack, she was wearing sweats and running shoes too.

Sam had the idea that they could head out to the 'Garden of the Gods' and take off from there. It had a far nicer outlook than just pounding the local streets.

Jack parked the truck in the parking lot and they climbed out, locking it behind him. With a few deep breaths and a quick limber up, they set off along the trail between the beautiful tall red and orange spikes of rocks interspersed with scrubby bushes.

_This old man, he played two. _

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry to keep you all waiting for this chapter. I had to do a major rewrite on this one and also check in on a few facts before I could post._

_Thanks as always for the reviews. Keep 'em coming guys. I write better and quicker for reading your comments!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Jack parked the truck in the parking lot and they climbed out, locking it behind him. With a few deep breaths and a quick limber up, they set off along the trail between the beautiful tall red and orange spikes of rocks interspersed with scrubby bushes.

Chapter 6

_This old man, he played two,_

After several minutes of pounding the track, Jack pulled up with a grimace. He bent down breathing heavily and rubbed his head, resting one hand on his knees.

"Are you okay Jack?" Sam came back to him, and laid a hand on the curve of his shoulders, worried that he wasn't really as fit as he'd made out and that this had been too much too soon for him.

He stood up and stretched, giving her a wry smile.

"I'm fine. Just...too much Pizza."

She laughed then, and dropped her hand back to her side.

"Serves you right _Sir!_ " she giggled, emphasising the 'sir'. "I didn't want to say anything, but..."

"Don't you dare, Carter!" he warned, wagging a finger at her and reverting to calling her by her surname in answer to her use of his title. He tried to focus on her face but he was seeing a fuzzy Carter. His eyebrows knitted together in a frown and he blinked several times to clear his vision.

Arching his back a little to ease the ache in his gut, his smile was more like another grimace, and Sam saw right through it.

"What's wrong Jack?"

"Headache. I think that beer was stronger than I thought." In fact, now that Jack had thought back to drinking it, it had a funny taste to it, though he was reluctant to say anything to Gene who had ordered it, not wanting to offend him. He just silently vowed never to drink it again.

"Maybe we should just go back to the truck and get you home."

"No. I'll be fine. As I said, I probably ate too much Pizza is all. Yeah I know I eat too much," he said, defying Sam to make any comment about that. "I just got a touch of indigestion is all. Got a mint or something?" he added with a whine, feeling somewhat nauseous.

Sam looked down at her clothes and pulled a wry face.

"Sorry, not on me, no."

"Never mind!" he shrugged. "C'mon, let's get goin'." He started off again, taking it somewhat slower this time, which Sam was happy to oblige, feeling that little niggle of worry about him curl round her insides as she watched him closely. If anything he seemed a little unsteady on his feet, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

He felt slightly worse for wear after the short run. Whatever was wrong certainly wasn't working it's way out of his system as he'd hoped it would. He felt even more breathless after only a few minutes and his legs felt all wobbly like he was all uncoordinated. He could feel his heart beating in his chest in a hit and miss rhythm and he was actually trembling. He indicated that he needed to rest, so they sat down on a low smooth rock for around ten minutes near the top of the incline to get his breath back before starting back again.

Jack pulled off his shoe and tipped it up, getting rid of the annoying piece of grit, or whatever it was, that had been stabbing into his heel since they started off. He slipped the shoe back on and retied the laces, then looked out over the scenery in silence for a moment or two.

The view from where they were sitting was fantastic, though it was a little too chilly to sit around for too long and he was beginning to feel rather sleepy. He ruthlessly pushed away the feeling that something was desperately wrong with him and wondered how to approach the subject nearest to his heart right now.

"So, Sam..." he began before pausing.

Sam twisted round to look at him, biting her lip in anticipation. Now was the moment of truth. Well, maybe.

"Jack?"

He smiled at the use of his name again, he kinda liked the sound of it coming from her lips. She just didn't say it often enough for his liking.

"I...guess you know... well, I hope you... Ah crap! Sam. You know how I feel about this! I'm not good with words, but, well, I'd been wonderin' if you've given any further thought to my...em...proposal?"

Sam couldn't help but feel warm and wonderful inside. He was sooo... well, so old fashioned and it was kinda cute.

"I thought after all this time, that maybe you'd changed your mind. To be honest, I was hoping that a little time on our own might help things along. I thought you were never gonna bring the subject up again." She grinned then and he responded likewise.

"Yeah, well... let's not dwell," he sighed, fully aware of how long it had taken him to get her alone and actually ask her about it once more.

What he really needed was the privacy and familiar surroundings of his home to tell the truth, but so far that had proved harder than impossible. Perhaps it would be nicer with the help of low lighting, some flickering firelight and a little romantic music, courtesy of Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, playing softly in the background?

Yeah, he could do romantic if he wanted. Sam deserved nothing less.

Sam shivered and he stood up awkwardly, staggering to his feet. Sam shot to her feet and reached out a hand to help steady him, her concern for him deepening. He nodded his thanks and shrugged off her help.

Whether her reaction was from the cold or anticipation of his offer, he couldn't tell, but he needed to ask her that all important question again and he was damned if he wasn't going to do it properly this time; at home; alone; and with all those romantic trimmings too! If only he could think straight, that was.

"C'mon, let's get back. It's too cold to sit out here for too long. You wanna drop by for a while?" he wheedled, raising a hopeful eyebrow.

"Yeah, sure. I'd like to Jack. Thanks," she said, genuinely pleased that he'd asked.

It was all down hill to get back to the truck, and Jack wanted to feel like he was on top of the world but he couldn't. He couldn't wait to get back home and even tried joking with her. He pushed away the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach, he was enjoying the time alone with her too much to worry about how sick he was feeling.

"Hey," he cried, trying to lighten his own fear of believing something was wrong. He chuckled as the truck came into sight. "Last one to the truck gets to...!" His words were lost in the breeze as he took off at a run, leaving Sam momentarily stunned. She stopped and gaped in disbelief but not wanting to get whatever lousy job he had in mind, she was soon running to try and catch him up.

In fact he left her way back and was almost back at the parking lot when he pulled up sharply, wavered and staggered, stooping slightly clutching at his chest. He suddenly moved awkwardly towards the bushes and threw up. By the time Sam was within reach his knees were about to give way as he made his way back to the track and he crumpled to the ground, double up in agony.

"JACK!" Sam yelled, gasping in horror along with several other walkers that were passing by.

Frantically she dropped to her knees and felt for a pulse; it was fast and very erratic; he was pale and sweating, but that could possibly be because he'd been running only seconds before.

He moaned, and gasped breathlessly, and Sam tried to roll him onto his back. He looked a mess; his face was lightly grazed from his collapse and blood oozed sluggishly from a cut over his eye. His dark eyes were scrunched up in pain as he clutched at his stomach.

Sam grabbed her cell phone and dialled 911 asking for an ambulance.

"Ss...so much...f' ind...indigestion!" he gasped as she took his hand and held onto him for dear life. He felt awful, and cramping pains wracked his body.

Jack wasn't sure, but he almost believed that if help didn't arrive pretty soon he wasn't going to make it, he could feel his erratic heartbeat throbbing wildly inside his heaving chest. With that in mind, and the fact that it was getting harder to breathe through the pain, he squeezed Sam's hand, ignoring the little group of people that had morbidly gathered around to gape at him, he spoke the words he had longed to for so long now. He had to tell her before he died, and this would likely be his one and only chance.

"Sam... Love you so much!" he gasped in between the spasms of pain, looking up into her tearful and terror filled eyes as the pain increased, leaving him gasping and desperate to draw a breath, but he couldn't.

"I love you too Jack!" she cried, trying hard not to let the tears fall, but not succeeding. "Jack! Please! What's wrong?" she sobbed brokenly.

He felt her soft lips caress his brow even as a violent seizure gripped his body, thenhis eyes rolled back into his head and he slipped away into the darkness. Sam could only sit and watch over him while they waited for medical help to arrive.

OoOoOoOoO

"Sam!"

The cry came from Daniel as he entered the waiting room at the hospital.

She looked up and wiped away her tears with a swipe of her sleeve.

"God, Sam, what happened? They said Jack had been taken ill?"

She nodded tearfully and sniffed, biting her lip to stop it trembling.

He folded her into his arms and held her tight, though he wasn't sure if he was giving comfort or gaining it for himself. She was trembling so much, he forced her backwards, making her sink into the nearest chair, still holding on to her, hoping to ease her obvious distress.

"I don't know what's wrong Daniel. We went out for a run..."

Daniel was a little surprised, wondering if Jack had really been up to it yet, but held back from commenting at this point.

"We went to the Garden of the Gods. He was...he said it was indigestion Daniel. He brushed it off, then later, he was sick. He collapsed and had a seizure. Oh god! I though he was gonna die right there in front of me!" she sobbed, breaking down altogether after the trauma had proved too much.

As a team, they always half expected that one or another of them would, or could die as a result of facing the enemy. In their line of work it was almost a given certainty. That they had been lucky as a team so far was something of a record. Now Jack had almost died from maybe something as commonplace as whatever it was, was almost ironic in it's simplicity yet just as distressing. This was the last thing they had expected to happen. Especially to Jack who was supposedly as fit as a fiddle for his age, despite the constant protests of bad knees and backache.

"Oh Sam, I'm sure he'll be okay."

She nodded into his chest too upset to speak yet. The trauma still haunted her.

Neither of them had heard the door open silently to admit the doctor.

"Major Carter?" he asked, automatically addressing Daniel.

"I'm Major Carter," Sam said, standing, desperate for some news; all trace of the weeping woman carefully hidden away. "How is he?"

"His body went into shock but he's holding his own at the moment, and I have to admit, this whole thing is puzzling me, but it's early days yet."

"What?" Daniel queried. "What do you mean?"

"Colonel O'Neill's results from the various tests and scans that we ran indicate that there is no damage to the heart. That's just not possible with a myocardial infarction so we can rule out a heart attack. That said and despite everything, there is the problem that he is still a very sick man. There does however seem to be an anomaly in his blood-work which indicates that he may have some form of poisoning. We're working on that assumption, and giving him fluids, so when we know what exactly it is we're dealing with, we'll be able to deal with it properly, as it stands at the moment we're not sure what will help and what might make things worse."

"So what are you saying?" Sam asked bewildered.

"We're waiting on the results of his latest blood tests, perhaps we'll know more then."

"Can we see him?" Sam asked, ready to call on Janet for help if necessary; she was expecting her friend and Teal'c to turn up any minute along with General Hammond.

The doctor hesitated for a moment then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, not right now, a little later, when we're certain he's out of danger.

_This old man, he played two,_

_He played nick – nack with my brew..._

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

_Glad you're still with me, though the counter on 'hits' is all screwed on this story so I can't tell how many of you are actually reading it. Also **liketoread **there will only be **7** verses. Even I don't think I could put Jack through too many traumatic experiences in order to reach the end of however many there are.. 10 or 12 I think or whatever! LOL!_

_Thank you for your reviews as always…please keep them coming! I thrive on your wonderful comments. It spurs me on!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

"I'm sorry, not right now, a little later, when we're certain he's out of danger.

Chapter 7

_This old man, he played two. _

_He played nick-nack with my brew. _

_With a nick-nack paddy whack..._

Sam and Daniel slumped back onto their chairs dejectedly, just as Janet and General Hammond entered the room with Teal'c following behind them.

"Major Carter! Doctor Jackson!" Hammond greeted his people.

"Sam, Daniel!" Janet approached them worried.

The trio stopped just inside the door and the Doctor introduced himself, though Janet already knew him through working there.

"Hi. I'm Doctor Ralph Owens. You must be Colonel O'Neill's...friends?" the medic said thrusting out his hand towards the General.

"Actually I'm his senior officer," Hammond responded, looking almost as pale at Sam was. He was trying hard to keep the lid on his emotions. What was it with Jack lately? He was supposed to start back at the SGC the next day, now this, whatever it was? He'd had a garbled message from Daniel, but he hadn't known any details back then. "Could you please explain exactly what's wrong with Colonel O'Neill?"

Doctor Owens nodded and withdrew his hand quickly but offered the newest group a tentative smile, ushering them to take seats.

Janet took Ralph aside and whispered something into his ear. He didn't look best pleased, but nodded after a short exchange of words.

He opened the door and snagged a passing nurse.

"Would you take Major Carter to see the patient in room 37, nurse? Thank you!" He nodded to Sam and she looked as if she was torn between wanting desperately to see Jack and waiting for her CO to give his approval.

"Sir?" Sam asked, looking for his permission.

"Go ahead Major. I'll catch up with you later."

"Thank you sir."

Sam was grateful that Janet had persuaded Dr. Owens to allow her to go see Jack. She gave her friend a wobbly smile and touched Janet's arm on the way out, conveying her heartfelt thanks for giving her this opportunity.

She followed the nurse down the corridor until they came to the room where Jack was resting. She smiled her thanks to the nurse, then sucked in a huge breath before pushing open the door.

Jack looked lost amid all the medical paraphernalia surrounding him. His eyes were closed; the left one still slightly puffy and bruised from his collapse onto the gravelled pathway, the jagged edges of the cut held together with two surgical stitches. The graze down his cheek had been cleaned and didn't look so bad now; though the ashen features around the bruising revealed how sick he really was. An oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose; his breath fogging the inside as he exhaled; too slowly as far as she was concerned. Monitor wires, and various tubes snaked underneath covers that were laid lightly over his frighteningly still form.

Sam felt her heart break all over again. It had already broken when he gasped out those desperate words to her in the park as he lay obviously believing that he was dying. He been stabilized by the medics, but from the look of him now, she wondered if it would make any difference; he looked only a tentative breath away from death's door.

She stepped towards the bed lightly, hoping not to disturb him. His hands were outside the covers, the back of the right one holding the IV needle, so she very gently lifted the left hand into hers.

The heart monitor to one side beeped out a slightly irregular rhythm showing her that he was still so far from well.

Sam smiled at the nurse who tried not to look at their joined hands while she went about her job of checking all the equipment and noting the results on the chart.

Her hand lifted his fingers to her lips almost without her knowing it, and she brushed back the small tuft of hair from the middle of his brow with a wry smile, tears still hovering on her lashes.

Leaning in to speak into his ear, unaware if he could hear her or not, she said the only thing she could.

"I love you Jack. Please don't leave me. Not now!" she whispered, ever conscious of the nurse's presence. "The answer's yes Jack, do you hear me? I do so want to be with you, so you have to get over this." Her voice hardened slightly as she spoke severely, "You can't leave me now Colonel! That's an order!"

Jack stirred slightly, mumbling something that she couldn't make out. The machines beeped a little faster and more erratic, and at first Sam was alarmed that he was going to die there and then, but the noise settled into it's strange rhythm again, even though Jack never woke from his unconscious state.

She felt the hand in hers try to grip her fingers weakly and the action, feeble though it was, brought a smile to her lips. It meant Jack was in there, fighting, and he had heard her.

She wanted to stay, but Dr. Owens returned and asked her to leave Jack to rest now. She couldn't stay; that was a privilege granted only those with a ring on their finger, and she hadn't yet been given that right. Owens, through Janet, was going out of his way for her as it was. 'One day soon Jack,' she promised silently, taking one more look before the door was closed behind her, shutting him off from her view.

She returned to the waiting room where her friends and General Hammond were still waiting.

Daniel took her arm to steady her; with her glassy eyes and tear-stained face, she looked just about fit to collapse.

"Sam, c'mon, sit down. Coffee?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer before he turned round and asked Teal'c to get her one. "Teal'c could you get Sam a coffee please? Make it strong and sweet!"

Teal'c nodded silently and left in search of the coffee machine.

Sam choked back a sob and hiccoughed, which seemed to bring her back to reality. She wiped at her face with her sleeve, trying to dry her tears away. Someone handed her a handkerchief, and she felt slightly better after blowing her nose into it.

Hammond took the seat beside her and gently touched her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Major Carter...Sam," he said softly, using her given name in order to sound more sympathetic, after all, they were alone here and he'd known her since she was a child. By her reaction alone, he knew that there was more to the relationship than either she or Jack had revealed at the SGC. He would have to address that problem when Jack had recovered, providing he did, that was.

"Sam, can you tell me what happened?" Hammond asked gently.

"Colonel O'Neill was coaching the younger boys at hockey. They had a game this afternoon, so I went along to watch and help support them. After the game, we all went for a meal to some place that Gene knew. We, that is, the Colonel, Gene and myself... we all had some pizza and beer. Dr. Owens mentioned that Jack might have been poisoned, so it couldn't have been anything he ate at the diner..." she trailed off with a sudden thought. "Oh god! Has anyone phoned Gene? He should be told about this. Or maybe he's sick too?" Her worry for Jack's friend overwhelmed her. Why hadn't she thought of that before?

"It's okay," Daniel placated her. "I'll give him a ring. Do you have his number?" he asked her urgently, reaching for his cell phone, hoping that Gene would be just fine.

Sam took out Jack's cell phone from her pocket. She'd taken possession of it before they took Jack away in case it got lost or stolen. She handed it to Daniel.

"Here," she said passing it over, "use Jack's; the number should be in there somewhere."

Daniel accepted the phone and moved across to the window to make the phone call while Sam and the General talked.

Teal'c came back into the room with a polystyrene cup of steaming hot coffee and handed it to Sam, who sipped at it without conscious thought; her mind back in that room with Jack, hoping that all would be well soon.

If anyone thought it strange for her to be using the Colonel's given name, then nobody mentioned it at all, especially not General Hammond, who seemed to take it in his stride given the new evidence of the level of her attachment to his 2IC.

"Major?" Hammond coaxed, ready for her to continue.

"Sorry sir. The Colonel and I then went for a run in the park. We drove up to the Garden of the Gods and left the truck in the parking lot while we jogged round the area. He...stopped and seemed to be in some pain, but he swore it was only because he'd eaten too much pizza. I was a little worried, but you know how he is, he carried on just ignoring it. He seemed to get a little short of breath, so we sat and talked for a little while until we both got chilled, so then we took a slow jog back to the truck. He joked a little and ran ahead, but...when...when he was almost there, he doubled over in pain, staggered into the bushes to vomit and then when he came back he collapsed. He was a little way ahead of me and by the time I got to him he..." he words broke off in a strangled sob as she dissolved into tears again, her hands flying to her face to contain her misery.

Hammond sighed with concern, and gently in a fatherly way put his arm around her heaving shoulders, offering her some comfort while she cried.

Daniel closed the phone and pocketed it on his way back to report to Sam. He caught Hammond's eye over Sam's bowed head and both exchanged a look of sorrow and concern, not only for Jack but for Sam too.

"Gene's fine. No problem there. He's on his way here," Daniel said, addressing the others. Taking the seat next to Sam, he probed for further information.

"Are you sure that's all Sam," Daniel prompted gently, taking over the not so envious task of asking questions about the ordeal, knowing the General needed to know all the details. He was closer to her and she would probably respond better to him than to Hammond. He pulled her against him as much as the chairs allowed close contact and hugged her tight, pressing a brotherly kiss to her blonde head, soothing her.

"That's all there is to tell. Nothing else happened. He just...collapsed." she growled angrily between sobs. "Nobody else was anywhere near him. It's not like anyone shot him with a poisoned dart...like they might have off...during a mission."

General Hammond released a huge sigh of frustration. Was there something sinister going on here? Being of a suspicious nature after so long in the service of his country, he was ready to believe anything could have happened. Maybe he was just an old cynic, reading too much into an innocent situation of food poisoning. Whatever! He would just have to wait until the doctor's report to know one way or another.

"You should go and get some rest Sam," Daniel urged, but Sam shook her head.

"I'm not leaving him Daniel. I promised him I'd stay, and I meant it!" she said glaring defiantly at them all.

Hammond stood, stretching. There was nothing else he could do here, and nothing he could do yet if this seemingly innocent crisis turned out to be otherwise. That's when the real work would begin. Personally, he was holding out for the latter, because he just couldn't visualise Jack being that sick from a simple case of eating something bad. After all Jack was the only one to suffer here.

General Hammond stood up stiffly. It was getting late.

"I'll be in my office if there's any more news. Keep me apprised Doctor, Major; good night. Teal'c." he acknowledged the Jaffa with a slight incline of his head to which Teal'c returned the gesture in acknowledgement of his unspoken order. He would indeed keep his team-mates safe.

Hammond left the room and several moments later a nurse came in carrying a tray of sandwiches and coffee, saying that Janet had sent them and that they were to eat up because it was on her orders if they were planning on staying all night.

Daniel smiled and thanked the nurse and then broke open one of the sealed packets to try and persuade Sam to eat the chicken salad, suspecting that she hadn't eaten anything for hours. Teal'c snagged the pastrami on rye and he was left with the prawn mayonnaise.

They'd almost finished the food when the door suddenly burst open making them all look up sharply.

"Sam! What happened? How is he?"

Gene hurried in, looking lost and bewildered and Sam couldn't face the rest of her sandwich. She tossed it back onto the tray, having lost her appetite.

"According to the latest news, the doctor said he's resting comfortably, Gene."

Gene flopped down heavily in the chair beside her, his forearms resting on his thighs, clasping his hands tightly together against his brow as if in prayer.

"God, when Daniel told me over the phone, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack," he added breathlessly. He'd dropped everything and rushed straight there to find out more about how Jack was.

"They know it wasn't a heart attack," Sam said casually, swallowing the last small bite of sandwich with difficulty. "So at least there's no damage to his heart, thank god. No, he's been poisoned as far as they can tell. Now their looking to find out by what. God, Gene, I really thought he was gonna die right there in my arms." Sam could feel a fresh wave of tears smart behind her eyes and sniffed them back.

"I don't understand? How could that be? I mean, Daniel said it was poisoning but I couldn't believe it. Didn't you?" Gene sounded confused.

"No, I actually said we thought it was at that stage," Daniel corrected the man. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you unduly," he apologised.

"That's okay. I'm just relieved he's okay. He is gonna be okay, isn't he?"

"We don't know for sure, but Janet says he seems to be stable, so far. They'll know after the results of the tests come through and... Well, you know how long these things take," Daniel sighed, already prepared for a long wait.

The minutes passed in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts until Daniel broke the monotonous, loud ticking of the clock.

"Jack said you're ex-Air Force?"

Gene started at the voice, but nodded.

"Yeah. I served many years ago now. I've been retired since… Well, since Desert Storm," he sighed in reminiscence.

"So you were out there too?"

"Well, not exactly. I was just an aircraft maintenance guy for the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing. They flew F-111Fs out of RAF Lakenheath in the UK. Nothing as near as exciting as Jack I'm afraid."

"But no less important!" added Sam. The curiosity about Gene getting the better of her worry about Jack, and although it was still there, this was a welcome distraction.

"That's right. Without us those babies couldn't fly," he said with a proud grin.

"You must have retired young?" Daniel speculated, wondering about his age.

"Not that young really, but..." he paused for a long time and Daniel thought perhaps he was going to avoid answering. "...well, things were hard at the time. I was looking forward to coming home after the war but it didn't..." His words trailed off again as he gulped back a choked sob, forcing it away and dropping his head into his hands. After a while, when he'd composed himself once more, he sat up and took up the story again. "When I came back, things had changed for the worse, so I retired from the service and took off. I started up a little workshop of my own until I got too restless. That's when I decided to sell up and move on again; see the country before I died an' all that. Well, I've done my fill of playing tourist, now I just want to sit back and wait my days out. Getting to move next door to Jack was an added bonus, thanks to my late aunt. Jack and I would play a little chess; sit on the back porch and drink beer etc, chat about hockey and on rare occasions, talk about the past."

He couldn't continue, his voice too choked by emotion once more. Daniel came to the conclusion that he was desperately worried about losing Jack; he'd obviously been very lonely for the past ten years or whatever it was. Jack had obviously meant more to Gene than he'd let on, especially if Jack was willing to actually talk about his past with the veteran. He wouldn't press the man for any more information about their friendship. Jack deserved to have good friends outside of work too.

_This old man, he played two. _

_He played nick-nack with my brew. _

_With a nick-nack paddy whack, _

_give the dog a bone... _

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey! Glad you're enjoying this. I hope I can continue to hold your interest._

_Thanks as always for all those lovely reviews. Unfortunately one or two mistakes do get through. I am only human, and it was very late when I posted last night._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

He couldn't continue, his voice too choked by emotion once more. Daniel came to the conclusion that he was desperately worried about losing Jack; he'd obviously been very lonely for the past ten years or whatever it was. Jack had obviously meant more to Gene than he'd let on, especially if Jack was willing to actually talk about his past with the veteran. He wouldn't press the man for any more information about their friendship. Jack deserved to have good friends outside of work too.

Chapter 8

_This old man, he played two. _

_He played nick nack with my brew. _

_With a nick nack, paddy wack,_

_give the dog a bone. _

"Major Carter?"

Sam roused from the light doze she'd fallen into and sat up. She'd fallen asleep against Daniel's shoulder and now she had been awakened, she discovered that he'd dozed off too. Both of them were blinking away the residue of sleep. Teal'c had been keeping a watchful eye on all of them while Gene caught a few 'Zzzs' as well, though he too was on the alert now.

"Yeah?" she answered sleepily until it registered that it was Doctor Owens, then she was wide awake. "What is it?" she cried almost in a panic.

"It's okay, not to worry. Colonel O'Neill is awake and asking for you," he said smiling, laying Sam's sudden fears to rest immediately.

She sighed with relief and turned towards Daniel, offering him a wan smile as she stood up.

"Go on Sam; Jack needs you. We'll be right here if you should want us."

"Thanks guys. I'll see you in a bit."

Sam followed the doctor from the room and headed along the quiet corridors to the side room where Jack lay still surrounded by machines.

Sam gave a tight smile and a nod to the doctor as he left her at the door. Taking a deep breath to fortify herself for what lay inside the room, she pushed the door open and entered, trying not to look like she was about to burst into tears.

Jack's eyes were closed, but as soon as she neared the bed, they opened to mere slits. He looked so desperately pale and there were half moons of dark smudges beneath those incredible chocolate eyes of his, now dulled from pain. The oxygen mask had been replaced by a nasal canula, but Sam could still hear his pained breaths coming slower than they should.

"SssSam," he slurred breathlessly, giving her a weak smile.

She smiled back, taking his hand into both hers, and holding on for dear life.

"Hi there!" she greeted him, trying not to cry. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth to stop it from quivering.

A slight shake of his head meant he'd seen the gesture and understood her fears.

"Did...you mean...what you said?" he rasped out slowly between gasps. He sounded old and tired and it almost broke her heart to hear him so. "In the...park?"

Her face softened with remembrance, and the smile visibly brightened though remained wobbly. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes Jack," she answered, holding back the sob. "Every word. I do love you so much. I don't want to lose you."

"Hey!" he gasped, as tears held back for so long, began to cascade down her cheeks. "Not goin' anywhere...yet! No...intention...of...leaving you," he added with a customary lop-sided grin.

Sam giggled. She couldn't help it. It was a combination of relief and his unique way of reassuring her. The chuckle brought another smile to his lips, but he was tiring fast, his eyes closing despite his determination to stay with her. He felt as if he'd been to hell and back.

She cupped his cheek in her hand and he leaned into it then she brushed a soft kiss across his brow.

"Go to sleep Jack. Rest. I'll be here for you. I'm not going to leave you either."

Jack sighed with contentment. He could feel the depth of her love through her touch, as well as from her words. He trusted her with his life and loved her with all his heart and soul. He gave in to the tug of sleep and allowed himself to drift off, knowing she would be there when he woke as promised.

Sam watched him fall asleep, her tears falling freely now that he couldn't see them.

OoOoOoOoO

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean, I'm just not sure what I'm actually implying."

Janet sighed and scrubbed at her stinging eyes, blinking a few times to concentrate. He'd been up for hours and it was beginning to tell.

Daniel couldn't help but gape at the woman.

"Why is that?" he demanded.

He, Teal'c and Gene were still sitting in the waiting room to hear any more news. Sam had remained with Jack.

"What I'm saying is that this is looking more like another deliberate attempt on the Colonel's life."

Daniel's jaw dropped open at Janet's statement, and Gene gasped in disbelief.

"How can this be?" Teal'c insisted, pulling himself up to his full height, indignation warring with shock across the normally passive features.

"The tests reveal that Colonel O'Neill was in fact, poisoned by an overdose of medication. There was a significant amount of the drug Doxepin in his blood. We've treated him for the overdose, now all we can do is monitor his vitals and hope that it hasn't done any damage. He's at risk for at least the next 54 hours."

"What? An overdose? How?" Daniel was thoroughly confused. He turned to Gene. "Sam said you'd only eaten pizza and drunk some beer before they went for a run, right? Did you see him take any medication? And I thought he was passed as fit?" he asked, turning back to face Janet in confusion.

"He's not on any medication that I've prescribed Daniel. I haven't given him anything more than a Tylenol to ward off a headache lately."

"And we did eat out, but Sam and I are okay. We all ate from the same dish Daniel. I don't see how what you're suggesting was at all possible. He didn't take anything that I saw of. He must have taken whatever it was when he went home to change. He and Sam returned there to change for their run in the park."

"Do you consume anything else Gene Thomas?" Teal'c asked.

"No. We had pizza and a beer; that's all. It was delivered to the table, including the beer." Gene explained, wondering how the hell anyone could have poisoned his friend. More to the point though, was why?

"Was there any of the pizza left?" Janet asked Gene.

"With Jack around?" he gasped incredulously. "Surely you know better than that." He stopped when Janet shot him a angry glare. "Sorry, no, we finished it all off."

"It could have been the beer, if as you say, they were opened before they were delivered to the table. Someone could have spiked it at the bar."

"Yeah. I mean. We were all handed one and drank it down."

They all fell silent, their thoughts stirring through the possibilities.

"Do you think it's likely that this was done by the same person that took a pot shot at him?" Gene asked after a moment, voicing everyone else's fear.

They all thought over the odds that it could possibly be the same person doing this to Jack and thought it likely but not necessarily so. First though, Daniel pondered, they needed to check Jack's home for any pills there.

"I don't know," Daniel sighed. "And we're no nearer to finding that person either. Maybe though, this time, supposing it was the same person of course, just maybe they left some clue somewhere that we might find. Teal'c, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"There is a distinct possibility, Daniel Jackson. I too am suspicious of those in the NID." Jack had been known to rub that particular organisation up the wrong way on so many occasions.

"Yeah, me too. I need to go back to the SGC and talk to General Hammond. This was something he couldn't discuss over the phone, let alone in front of Gene.

Teal'c inclined his head.

"I will remain here and keep watch over O'Neill and Major Carter, and Gene Thomas too."

"And I need to go see how my patient is doing," Janet sighed.

Janet excused herself. She really needed to see how Jack was receiving the medication to counteract the poison. It seemed to be working, the last time she'd checked anyway, and nobody had paged her to say otherwise.

OoOoOoOoO

Owens smiled as he entered the room. Jack was asleep again and Sam was sitting by his bed just gazing at Jack's still form, watching as his chest rose and fall. His heartbeat was gradually steadying into a normal rhythm again. It had been a close call, but Jack was hanging in there.

Sam looked up and smiled back at the doctor as he approached.

The medic checked Jack's vitals in silence then reassured Sam that he was doing okay.

"We discovered what the problem was Major Carter. Are you sure that the Colonel didn't take any form of medication before you left the house at all?"

"No. Not that I know of, why?" Sam replied, puzzled by his question.

"What about the beer? Mr. Thomas said you all drank some beer?"

"Yes, there were three bottles and we were all given one. Why, I ask again? What's the problem?"

"The problem is Major, that Colonel O'Neill was poisoned by an overdose of a prescribed medicine. I doubt it could possibly have had anything to do with dining out."

"What? Just what are you implying Doctor Owens?" she cried rising to her feet in surprise. "That he did this on purpose?"

"Well, I can't really see how it could have been the beer because that was bottled, but I guess that's what I mean, yeah."

"But why? I mean... He didn't; he just wouldn't. It had to be ingested from the food or beer. It had to be! It doesn't make any sense!"

"If that was so, then it could have been meant for any one of you Major Carter. It might be you lying there or Mr. Thomas, but it just happened to be Colonel O'Neill. I think you should inform the police."

"I need to talk to General Hammond..."

"Dr. Jackson is already on his way to the SGC, Major. The sooner this is investigated, the better."

Sam gulped, her throat tight at the thought that it could be her lying there right now. She sat down rather abruptly onto the chair again. Dr. Owens placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. It had all been a shock to her system. He ordered the nurse to fetch a cup of coffee for her.

Sam just couldn't imagine why anyone would want to poison them, either one of them. Admittedly she didn't know a lot about Gene, but he didn't strike her as being a dangerous type that would garner any enemies, and he'd retired from the service years ago.

Who was out there? And why did they want to kill Jack or any one of them?

_This old man, he played two. _

_He played nick-nack with my brew, _

_With a nick-nack, paddy wack, _

_give the dog a bone. _

_This old man came rolling home._

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks once again for all your reviews. They are most welcome._

_**Michele** – Sorry if the song got stuck in your head. You're lucky you only get to read each chapter once. I have it running through my brain all the time I'm trying to write this! It's driving **me** nuts! Oh, and I'm not giving any clues away...all will be revealed in time!_

_**AFOSI** – Air Force Office of Special Investigations._ _Quote – "The vast majority of AFOSI's investigative activities pertain to __felony__ crimes including murder, robbery, rape, assault, major burglaries, drug use and trafficking, sex offenses, arson, compromise of Air Force test materials, __black market__ activities, and other criminal activities." _- _Wikipedia._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Who was out there? And why did they want to kill Jack or any one of them?

Chapter 9

_This old man, he played two. _

_He played nick-nack with my brew. _

_With a nick-nack, paddy wack,_

_give the dog a bone. _

_This old man came rolling home._

General Hammond was more astonished than annoyed. He just couldn't understand why anyone would want to poison one of his best team or perhaps Gene. Though he didn't dismiss the possibility that it could very well have been another attempt on Jack's life. Perhaps they whomever it was behind this had wanted all of them dead?

But that was just stupid. No, he was sure that this person, whomever it was, had wanted Jack out of the way. He'd taken pot luck that it was Jack who'd eaten the poisoned slice of pizza or had drunk the spiked beer; if it hadn't been Jack it would have been one of the others, and in this man's game, it would have been counted as unfortunate and better luck next time.

The evidence was there. Jack had been shot and that person remained an enigma, though why he'd tried to kill Jack was a deeper mystery still.

It had to be Jack he was after, and it had to be the same person. It was the only thing that made sense. Daniel, Teal'c and Janet had gone over the Colonel's home with a fine toothcomb and had come up empty; they found no trace of any medication containing Doxepin. Therefore Hammond had no choice in the matter, and had already put in a request for an AFOSI team from Bolling AFB to come out and investigate the crime, determined to get to the bottom of this.

OoOoOoOoO

"General Hammond? Colonel Chuck Mayhew reporting sir, AFOSI." The officer saluted and held his body stiffly to attention until Hammond had saluted in return.

Hammond then shook hands with the younger man. He was tall, confident looking and his uniform was immaculate. There weren't many medals decorating the jacket, certainly nowhere near as many as Jack had earned, but he guessed they didn't see a lot of action from behind a desk or at a crime scene. Aged around forty-five, Mayhew's cropped blonde hair was nothing more than a raised fuzz over his head. His steely grey eyes held Hammond's steadily as they regarded each other for a brief moment.

"Sit down Colonel. Do you have your orders?"

"Yes sir, they're right here." He took out a folded sheet from his inside Jacket pocket and handed it to the General who read through them looking for the relevant information.

"It says that I'm to give you full clearance for your investigation. That's a pretty tall order Colonel, I hope you are prepared for the ride of your life." Hammond studied the man; he appeared to be a capable looking person, but you never knew these days. Some people were just harder to read.

"I think I can handle anything you might throw at me General. I mean what is there to Deep Space Radar Telemetry that could possibly be so difficult to understand sir?" Mayhew had seen everything in his career, so what was there here that he couldn't handle?

"Well, Colonel, you're just about to find out!"

Hammond reminded him that as an officer of the United States Air Force he was bound by the rules to keep what he was about to hear as Top Secret and it was imperative that it remained so. He then went on to outline the story of the Stargate and the SGC's main concerns in gaining technology from alien cultures to help win the fight against an enemy never before imagined. Liberating those peoples who were enslaved by said enemy and becoming allies in that war to rid the universe of the Goa'uld and others like them, i.e. the replicators.

To give him his due, the Colonel listened without interruption until the General had finished his account.

"That's all very interesting General, but can we get down to the real purpose of what exactly you do here?"

Hammond could hardly blame him for not understanding the importance of what they did on a daily basis, but hadn't he just gone through the whole thing?

"That is exactly what we do here Colonel." Hammond threaded his fingers together and rested them on the open file on top of his desk, and waited patiently for the penny to finally drop.

"Oh my god! You actually do travel to other worlds?" the Colonel gaped in astonishment. He'd thought the General was pulling his leg for some reason.

"Yes Colonel we do. And Colonel O'Neill was the first man to lead a team onto a distant planet. He is an integral and vital part of this operation Colonel, and I need to know exactly who is behind these attempts to take his life, and whether there is actually a link between the two incidents."

"I'm sure we will do our best sir. May I introduce you to my team sir?"

Hammond stood and nodded, gesturing for Mayhew to lead the way.

As soon as they entered the briefing room the four team members stood to attention in deference to the senior officers present.

"General Hammond, this is Major Tanya Robson, and Lieutenants Josh Hamlyn and Zac Masters."

General Hammond gave each of them a nod, summing up their appearance and the way they interacted.

"This is Doctor Daniel Jackson." Hammond then took over the introductions. "He's our civilian anthropologist and linguistics expert assigned to SG-1 and this is Teal'c our civilian combat advisor, also a member of Colonel O'Neill's team. Major Sam Carter is SG-1's second-in-command, but she's still waiting at the hospital bedside of Colonel O'Neill, hoping he may have something to add to your investigation when he recovers." He didn't say 'if'. That possibility just didn't enter his head. He just couldn't see Jack curling up his toes just yet, despite the very real threat. Jack was a fighter.

Everyone shook hands and then the General called them to order, giving everybody time to reseat themselves around the gleaming table.

Colonel Mayhew was very thorough in his questioning, not that Daniel and Teal'c were the ones who were on hand at the time, but they told the Colonel everything that Sam, Gene and the doctors had told them.

The first thing that Mayhew wanted to do while Jack was still too sick to stand up to an interrogation, was to speak with Gene Thomas. He acquired the address and he and one of his team were taken there in a staff car.

OoOoOoOoO

Gene opened the door and saw two uniformed officers standing on his doorstep. His jaw dropped open when he thought the worst.

"What's happened? Is Jack...?"

"Colonel O'Neill is recovering Mr. Thomas," Mayhew was quick to reassure Gene that Jack was still with them. "I'm here to carry out an investigation into the attempts on his life. I'm sorry if we startled you. May we come in?" Colonel Mayhew flashed his ID card at him and Gene nodded, stepping out of the way so they could enter the hallway.

"What can I do for you Colonel?"

"We were wondering if you could give me all the details of your interaction with Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill the other day. We'd like to cover all the bases and get all the facts straight first off."

"Sure. I don't mind. Come in."

Gene had led them through to the sitting room where they could sit comfortably.

"Can you begin," Colonel Mayhew asked as soon as he was seated, "by telling me everything that happened during that meal?"

"Sure. You guys want some coffee? It's a long story."

"We've got plenty of time and lots of patience Mr' Thomas, but no thanks to the coffee. I just need you to answer the questions."

"Of course," Gene sighed, and began his version of the story. "Jack, Sam, Major Carter that is, and I drove to a local diner. I know the guy who owns it. He's ex-Air Force too. We ordered a couple of pizzas and three bottles of beer..."

Gene took his time and went over every detail until Mayhew was satisfied he was telling them the truth and had missed nothing out.

"Just how did you and Colonel O'Neill become friends sir?"

Again Gene launched into the fact that it was quite by accident that he had moved in next door to Jack, having inherited the house from an old aunt, but being neighbours and both Air Force, they had naturally gravitated towards friendship."

After several more gruelling questions Mayhew had enough information to go through for now and thanked Gene for his time.

"You're welcome Colonel. Anything that would lead to finding out who is after Jack. What else can I tell you?"

OoOoOoOoO

"Hey there! How're you feeling?"

Jack forced his eyes open further. He could just make out a fuzzy shape, but it was one he would recognise anywhere, plus the voice gave him another clue.

"Hi angel!" His reply was a little slurred, having just woken from a long sleep, and completely ignoring the question on how he felt.

Sam giggled at the appellation he'd given her and bent over to kiss him tenderly on his brow, pulling away with a huge smile. She sat down again, taking his hand in hers.

Jack leaned into the gentle caress of her fingers as they now brushed the hair from his forehead.

"'s'nice," he murmured, closing his eyes once more, savouring every touch.

"Hey!" she cried softly, trying to sound indignant, though she didn't mind really if he did doze off again; just so long as he was okay. "You gonna go to sleep on me?"

Jack smiled lazily, opening and focusing his deep hazel eyes to pin her to where she sat with that intense look of his.

"I wish," he smirked.

"Behave! You're not out of the woods yet, you know!"

He shrugged a little, acknowledging the fact that he still felt washed out.

"Sam."

"Yeah?"

"When... when I get outta here," he began slowly, squeezing her hand purposely. "How about we..." he paused, not knowing how she would take his proposal. "well, we skip right to the main event, huh?"

"You don't want to wait?"

"Nah. You?"

She smiled emotionally.

"I don't want to wait Jack. I want us to have something...before..." her voice trailed off but even in his half awake state he could tell what she was thinking. "I love you so much."

His hand, shaking a little from weakness, pulled her hand to his lips and he kissed her fingers.

"I know Sam. Love you too. That's why I asked. This way at least we get something out of it. I'll have a word with Hammond. See what he can arrange, yeah?"

"You will? Promise?" She asked, soothing his forehead again, needing the contact just as much as he appeared to.

Jack had tired easily and just with what little conversation he'd had with Sam had worn him out. He'd been scared out of his mind; he hadn't known what to believe was wrong when he'd felt so bad and he knew she had assumed the worst too. Learning that he'd been poisoned with something that could prove just as deadly as a heart attack was almost as bad. He wasn't going to let the bastard win though. He would come back fighting; just as he was fighting to stay awake now, but he just had to close his eyes for a moment or two.

"Jack?"

"Sleepy."

"I know. Rest now!" Sam reached over and kissed his cheek gently, making him smile. "I'll be right here!" A moment later he was well away.

_This old man, he played three..._

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry **scottiedog** – got a few more chapters of angst first before I can wind this story down. _

_This should have been posted last night but I've been getting an error and it wouldn't accept the document. Sorry for the delay but it wasn't my fault! Honest! **Thanks Jolene!** As you can see it worked!_

_Thanks for those great reviews…love them! _

****

**THIS OLD MAN. **

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:- _

"I know. Rest now!" Sam reached over and kissed his cheek gently, making him smile. "I'll be right here!" A moment later he was well away.

Chapter 10

_This old man, he played three... _

Jack's legs felt like Jello as he walked into the house. The two steps down into the lounge looked to him like a whole long flight of stairs. He steadied himself against the wall as he stepped down them and then sank gratefully onto the sofa with a sigh of relief.

He was still sore from the treatment to rid his body of the effects of the drug, but he knew that would go in time. He didn't have much of an appetite yet, but that was hardly surprising after what he'd gone through.

"You want anything to drink?"

Jack looked up into Sam's concerned eyes and shook his head.

"Nah. I'm fine for now." He had a bottle of water at his side already, he just didn't fancy anything else right now. The small bottle had been his constant companion after Janet had told him he needed to keep taking plenty of fluids.

He felt tired, irritated beyond frustration and overall was not a happy camper. He'd spent a gruelling hour being interviewed by Colonel Mayhew and his sidekick earlier this morning. Then after lunch he'd had a visit from General Hammond and had to confess that he loved his 2IC and wanted to marry her. Hammond hadn't been at all surprised and had been reasonable about the whole thing, saying he would talk to the Joint Chiefs about it and get back to him.

Sam sank down onto the cushion beside him and laid her hand on his arm.

"Hey! You sure you're okay?"

He smiled and closed his other hand over hers, giving it a little pat.

"I'm fine, really," he assured her with a smile. "Just tired I guess."

"Close your eyes for a while Jack. I'll keep the hounds at bay!"

He snorted with amusement at that and nodded. He settled back among the cushions and she threw the multicoloured blanket from the back of the sofa over him when he'd begun to doze off. She knew he was still feeling a little washed out from his ordeal, but at least he was on the mend. She bent over him and brushed a sweet kiss over his brow, bringing a sleepy smile to his lips.

"Love you!" she sighed.

"Me too!" he whispered before drifting off into the arms of Morpheus.

OoOoOoOoO

"Louis Frattelli?"

"Out back!" came the terse reply from the guy stocking the fresh supplies behind the bar.

"Then would you please tell him we'd like to talk to him for a moment!" Colonel Mayhew tamped down his annoyance and took a deep breath to calm himself. He glanced around the diner, taking in all there was to see.

"Depends! Who are you?"

Mayhew fished out his ID and dangled it in front of the man's nose.

"Colonel Mayhew AFOSI."

The man straightened and glared at the two officers and then shrugged, but did disappear into the back to tell his boss that he was wanted.

A slight man of around sixty years old appeared; his olive skin shiny from sweat as if he'd been shifting heavy gear around. He was wiping his hands on a towel as he approached.

"So what brings you guys to my place?" he asked in surprise.

"You know a Gene Thomas?" Mayhew asked, watching closely for the man's reactions.

"Sure I do. We're old Air Force buddies."

"He brought a couple of friends in here last week for a meal."

"Yeah. He said they were Air Force too. They had the best damn pizzas in the house. Why?"

"Did you know them personally?"

"Nope. Can't say I recall seeing them here before, but then I haven't been open that long. And this place is swarming with Air Force personnel if you hadn't noticed. They all look the same to me."

"But you do remember these two?" Mayhew accused.

"Yeah. They were with Gene, of course I remember them. And for fear of repeatin' myself, why?"

"Because after eating here, Colonel O'Neill was taken seriously ill."

"Hey! My food was good. I ain't had no complaints yet! Just what the hell are you gettin' at?" cried Fratelli in anger, waving his arms about.

"We're not accusing your food of being off Mr. Fratelli. Colonel O'Neill was poisoned, and we believe that the substance used was added to his meal here..."

"You gotta be kiddin' me? Look Colonel, I had nothin' to do with this. I didn't even know the guy until Gene introduced him."

"How well do you know your staff Mr. Fratelli? Did anyone else handle their food or the beer they were served?"

Fratelli thought back to that time and shrugged.

"Okay. Any one of the staff could have handled the pizza and the beer," he conceded.

"Can you find out exactly who, so that we can talk to them?"

"Sure!"

He disappeared into the back again and moments later a younger man, around his mid thirties and also of Mediterranean appearance, approached Mayhew. His chef whites protected by a grubby apron where he'd been wiping his fingers after handling the food.

"Louis said you wanted to see me?"

Masters beside him grimaced at the sight of the chef's apron and turned away leaving the questioning to his CO. Instead he looked around, taking in all the sights and sounds surrounding him.

"And you are?"

"Mickey Fratelli. What can I do for you?"

The name struck a chord.

"Louis is my dad!" Mickey explained, seeing the slightly curious look on their faces.

"What do you do here Fratelli? Beside work for your dad that is?"

"I prepare the pizzas. I guess you could say I'm the main chef around here."

"Do you know Colonel Jack O'Neill?"

"Who?" His brows knitted together as he tried to think. "Can't say I do."

"Do you know your father's friend Gene Thomas?"

"Sure I know him. Dad and he have been pals for...well for as long as I can remember, although he hadn't been around for a long time. I think they only met up again a short while ago. Look, what has all this got to do with me?"

"Mr. Thomas brought a couple of friends here last week and after one of them, Colonel O'Neill, had eaten one of your pizzas, he was taken ill from poisoning. Do you know anything about that Mr. Fratelli?"

"What? No!" he gasped, stunned by the accusation. "I...I... Why would I do a thing like that? I don't even know the guy! I never even saw who Gene was with that night. Dad came out back and ordered two of his best pizzas for Gene and his guests, so that's what I did. I made two. One topped with pepperoni and the other a triple cheese. I didn't add nothin' else! I swear I didn't."

"Okay. Fine. Thank you. Could you tell me who usually serves the food around here?"

"Dad does normally, especially if it was Gene. He likes to give a personal service to his friends and his best customers."

"What about the beer. Who would serve that?" Masters asked, wondering maybe if there could be someone else involved here.

Fratelli junior thought it over for a moment.

"Roy would normally open the bottles behind the bar. He's our bartender. But then, Paul would probably serve the drinks to the customers, though I couldn't tell you if he waited on Gene that night or not. You'd have to ask him."

"Is he here?"

"Yeah. He's out back checkin' the stocks."

Mayhew waited patiently locking eyes with his colleague while Fratelli yelled for Paul. What happened next caught them all by surprise.

Paul Robinson made his way forward and stepped into the main dining area, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw who was waiting to talk to him.

Mayhew and Masters focused on his face while Paul looked like a startled deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"You!" cried Mayhew in surprise, reaching for his weapon.

A moment later Robinson was dashing back through the kitchen and out of the back door, the two AFOSI officers hot on his tail, yelling for a clear run.

Robinson leapt over the garbage littering the back alley, tearing off his work jacket as he ran.

Masters and Mayhew hot on his tail were still a way back.

"Freeze or we'll open fire!" Mayhew yelled, but Robinson kept on running.

A single shot fired and Robinson went down heavily.

All was unnaturally still and quiet as the echo of the shot died down. Mayhew hurried towards the downed man while Masters dialled on his cell phone for an ambulance.

Mayhew's fingers encountered a fluttering pulse but the chances were that their one link with the events from a week ago was about to die on them. He examined the bullet wound; it had entered the middle of Robinson's back. The man didn't stand a chance.

He died before the ambulance and the police arrived, making Mayhew curse his luck.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack, still looking a little pale but back on light duties, looked up when Colonel Mayhew and his team entered the briefing room. SG-1 was having a briefing about the results of Sam's UAV probe on PX7 294 as a possible mission for the following week.

General Hammond stopped mid stream and stood to shake the Colonel's hand.

"I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality General," Mayhew began. "We've wrapped up the case and Colonel, you should be okay from now on. When we went over Robinson's apartment, we discovered a significant amount of Doxepin in his medicine cabinet. There was also a small bottle of the medication in his locker at work too. He must have slipped the stuff into your drink that night. He was wanted for poisoning a fellow Airman two years ago and had been on the run since then. Would you believe we also found out that he must have borne you a grudge too. Seems you must have upset him way back when you served together."

"We did? Can't say I can recall his name." Jack was a little taken aback by this revelation but schooled his features into curiosity.

"Apparently you turned down his request for leave and reported him AWOL when he took it anyway. As far as we can tell, he'd never forgiven you for that. You were lucky that the Major was with you Colonel or I doubt you'd be sitting here. Fratelli said he joined the staff around four months ago when they opened the place; said he came to Colorado Springs looking for a certain old friend he wanted to look up, and where better to try and find him amongst all the Air Force personnel stationed here?"

"Wow! That was some grudge!" Daniel exclaimed, making Jack feel a little uncomfortable.

"The threat to your life has now been eliminated Colonel. Good luck with the Major here," Mayhew grinned, making Sam blush to her roots. "I hear you two are preparing for the big day soon.

Jack chuckled. He hadn't been fooling anyone, especially these people.

"Sure are." Jack turned to smile at Sam who grinned back.

"We wish you all the best Colonel. General, we'll be flying back to Bolling now. I can't say it's been a pleasure under the circumstances, but I will say it's been a privilege to meet you and your men sir."

They all shook hands after both Jack and the General had thanked them for their investigation, and then said their good-byes.

_This old man, he played three. _

_He played nick-nack on my knee... _

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

_I did warn you that there would be some whumping in this story so if your not keen on it, then don't read this chapter. I make no apology for the angst herein._

_Thanks for all your reviews and support. Love your comments._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

They all shook hands after both Jack and the General had thanked them for their investigation, and then said their good-byes.

Chapter 11

_This old man, he played three._

_He played nick-nack on my knee..._

"You're one lucky sonovagun Jack, ya know that? How the hell did you engineer that?"

"What can I say? The President likes me," Jack countered, yelling in triumph when he shot the puck into the back of the net.

He skated round the deserted rink punching the air and leaving Gene behind to grin and shake his head at his antics. Anyone would think the guy had just scored the winning goal in the championships. What was he fifty or fifteen? It wasn't as if Jack wasn't good, he was, but he himself made a lousy goalie.

Jack checked the clock and sighed, heading for the exit. The senior team were due on the ice any minute for a practice session. It was time to go home. Gene followed him, removing his helmet and gloves on the move.

They'd spent the last few days together pursuing one thing or another. Jack was back to his usual robust health now and it was good to be able to spend the time doing things they otherwise wouldn't.

"So when's Sam due back?" Gene asked as they changed back into their street clothes.

"Her plane lands at 10:00hrs tomorrow at Peterson."

"So I guess you'll be there to meet her?" Gene pondered with raised eyebrows as if he didn't know any better.

"Ya think?" Jack snorted, knowing Gene was trying to goad him.

"You've missed her! I can tell."

Jack just glared at him with twisted lips.

"Whadda you think?"

Gene chuckled and shook his head. Wasn't love grand? He bit back the bitterness in his soul and put on a brave face.

"I think you'll be waiting at the base long before that flight is due."

Jack just grinned. Of course he would.

Sam had been to a scientific consultation at Area 51 for the last five days and Jack was missing her despite the nightly phone calls. He couldn't wait for his regular late night chat with her. He changed quickly and pulled his coat on.

"You gonna come round and finish that game tonight?"

"You want me to?" Gene had to ask. He seemed to be taking up a lot of Jack's time lately, playing chess in the evenings. They were part way through a particularly tough one.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you there," Jack frowned at his friend.

"Okay. How about I collect some Chinese on the way home. You still got some of that beer in your fridge?"

"Nope, but I can call in the store on the way home. Meet you there in thirty minutes."

"I'll be waiting on the doorstep!"

"Ha!" Jack barked. "I'll be there long before you get there old man."

"You wanna bet?" Gene dared.

"Ten Dollars says I will get there first!" Jack wagered.

"Done!"

They high fived together and shot out of the door each hoping to get away first. Jack made it to the street from the parking lot quicker than Gene who grinned behind the wheel of his car as he pulled out of the lot breathing Jack's exhaust fumes.

OoOoOoOoO

It was cold and dark by the time Jack reached his favourite store. Christmas lights twinkled in the window sending brightly coloured sparkles onto the snowy sidewalk. It would be Thanksgiving in a few days and he was expecting his team round that day to celebrate along with Gene who had nobody else to be with and Jack couldn't leave him out.

He looked up into the broken street light above him on the deserted road and sighed. It was yet another sign of the destructive nature of youth today. He shut the door on his truck and stooped down to lock it. No sense in taking risks with his beloved truck. He was a firm believer in 'Lock it or Lose it!'

Minutes later he was back at the truck, laden with a couple of six packs and a few other groceries he needed; he checked his watch. He sighed but smiled, knowing Gene would be sitting on the doorstep by now. So he'd lost ten Dollars; it didn't matter. Nick, the owner of the store, had been in a chatty mood tonight and he couldn't ignore the guy. Unlocking his door, he dumped the bags onto the back seat of the cab and pushed the door closed.

He felt a slight tingle and all the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. He made to turn round but his world suddenly exploded into pain and darkness. He slumped against the truck and shook his head to try and clear it but that just made things worse. Another blow to his head sent him spiralling downwards and he was unconscious before he'd even hit the asphalt.

OoOoOoOoO

Gene paced backwards and forwards. If Jack didn't arrive soon, the food was gonna be cold and they'd have to heat it up. He flipped open his cell phone after noting that Jack was very late. He was frozen and hungry and saw no point in hanging around in the chilly wind. If Jack wanted his dinner he'd have to come over to his house.

He pressed Jack's pre-set number and waited as the phone rang. And rang. And rang. He sighed in frustration and put his cell phone away again. He'd give it another fifteen minutes or so and give the man another ring if he hadn't turned up by then. What the hell was keeping him?

He waved to the old lady across the street, muttering about nosy neighbours under his breath and unlocked his front door. He left the bags of food on the kitchen table and settled himself in front of the TV, where unfortunately he dozed off within minutes, shattered from their fun session.

It was sometime later when he woke with a start, not really sure what had woken him. He scrubbed at his tired eyes and glanced at the clock. He'd been asleep for over an hour. Jack must have come home by now and not bothered to disturb him.

He rose from the sofa and headed next door to apologise.

The problem was, the house was still in darkness and there was no sign of Jack's truck on the driveway. Worried sick by now, Gene let himself in with his key and called out to his friend. 'Maybe Jack had been recalled to the base for some reason?' he wondered as he checked through the rooms; but there was nothing to indicate that Jack had been home at all. Knowing that Jack would have called him if he could have done so, he made his way home, heated up his share of the food; ate it in front of the TV and then retired to bed.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack woke to find himself lying on a rough cold concrete floor, his hands tied behind his back and he realised he was blindfolded too. His mouth was dry and tasted like a sewer; his head hurt fit to burst under the onslaught of the demon drummer inside it. He tried to work up some saliva to ease the dryness in his throat, but it wasn't working very well. He really needed a drink, a pee and something to get him warm again. His coat was missing and he was frozen. Questions without answers were plentiful and not very helpful. He'd been fooled into thinking that the threat to his life had been eliminated; how wrong could he have been? 'Did Robinson have an accomplice?' he wondered.

He heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

"I'm glad you've decided to join us again O'Neill." The voice was synthesized. It sounded tinny and electronic.

"What do you want, whoever the hell you are?" Jack croaked angrily.

The man, because Jack had guessed that much, ignored him, dragging him to his feet and pulled a little way forward until he could hear chains clanking together. He sighed when he realised what would be coming next. It was such a cliché. Been there and done that!

Actually what happened next took him completely by surprise.

His hands were untied and he was allowed to relieve himself into a container, but he was still blindfolded and he could feel the cold metal of a gun pressed against the back of his neck while he thankfully peed. He was then made to lie on the floor again and his wrists were chained over his head onto a ring set into the concrete, so he couldn't escape. He tried yanking on the manacles but they were fastened securely; the metal digging painfully into his flesh.

It went quiet for a moment, then suddenly he was hit with something solid across his knees and the pain shot all the way through his body. He cried out in agony; he couldn't help it, the move was so unexpected. He tried squirming away from the assault but was hit several times until his knees were one mass of pain and he was on the verge of passing out. He was quickly rolled over onto his front, his pain wracked knees now forced to rest against the solid concrete of the floor, sending white hot agonised shards of pain through his whole body from the contact. His legs were spread wide, and chains fastened round his ankles to stop him from rolling onto his back in order to escape the pressure on his knees.

He came to realise that there were small sharp stones sticking into his body; in fact he could feel jagged pieces of gravel underneath his face too. There was no escaping from it. It was an uncomfortable position no matter which way he rested his head; he just couldn't escape the worst of the grit digging into him. He shifted and groaned a little in pain when he scraped his bare flesh on the prickly stones and it pierced the material of his pants. He tried not to be too vocal about how uncomfortable it was. He didn't want to give the guy any satisfaction at all though it was difficult to stay quiet. His knees hurt so much that he didn't know how long he would be able to bear this position without passing out.

Damn! And double crap! Jack swore. All the time this was happening, he'd kept up an angry tirade through gritted teeth asking why the crazy guy was doing this to him. He tried calling out to the man once more but all around him had fallen silent, not that they guy had said much at all, in fact he'd remained quiet. He could only assume the man had gone now. He was alone, chilled to the bone and in some considerable agony.

How long he would stay like this was anyone's guess. How long he could last like this was something he knew wouldn't be that long without feeling any ill effects. The agony he was suffering now bad enough; how long would he have to stay like this? He heard a car drive off and his heart sank. His only hope was that Gene would report him as missing and they'd come looking for him, but thereby came the cruncher; nobody knew where he was. It was a hopeless dream, he knew, but it was all he had to cling to.

He bit right through his bottom lip as the pain in his knees worsened. He did the only thing he could think of. He focused on Sam and tried to reach her through a telepathic link hoping that she would hear him.

_This old man, he played three._

_He played nick-nack on my knee._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack..._

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

_Well, folks, you've caught up with everything I have written so far, so updates will be a little slower in coming. I also have company again for a few days, so I'll try and get another chapter written as soon as I can._

_Thanks for all those lovely reviews. Love reading of your theories and comments._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

He bit right through his bottom lip as the pain in his knees worsened. He did the only thing he could think of. He focused on Sam and tried to reach her through a telepathic link hoping that she would hear him.

Chapter 12

_This old man, he played three._

_He played nick-nack on my knee._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack..._

Sam shot up in bed in a wild panic. The blankets askew and tangled around her feet. She blinked several times. The dream had seemed so real. Taking a moment to calm herself, she shivered as the sweat on her skin cooled so she pulled the blankets up round her again and flicked on the bedside light; banishing the nightmare into the darkness outside the window.

She knew why she had succumbed to that particular nightmare. She was worried about Jack; she'd rung him as usual before she'd retired to bed, but couldn't get an answer. Thinking he had probably gone out with Gene or Daniel and Teal'c and forgotten to take his cell phone with him, she'd sighed in disappointment and gone to bed. She had a very early start in the morning and needed her sleep.

Worry about Jack twisted her gut and after she'd dreamed of him in dire trouble she grabbed the phone; she didn't care what time it was. She had to make sure he was okay.

The phone rang and rang but still there was no answer to it. After a while she left a message on his answer-phone, saying that she'd see him soon.

She tried ringing him on the base in case he'd been recalled, but was told he had gone home early yesterday. She thanked the desk sergeant and replaced the phone.

Picking it up again she dialled Daniel.

"_Jackson,"_ came the distracted voice.

"Daniel, it's me."

"_Hey Sam. What's up?"_

"Nothing I hope. Have you seen Jack lately? I can't seem to get a hold of him."

"_Ah...no not for a while. He went home early."_

Sam sighed; he wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know.

"Was he okay? I mean did he look alright to you?"

"_Yeah. What can I say, it was Jack. He bounced in here on his toes, hands in pockets and said he'd see me tomorrow...er...later today," _Daniel corrected himself when he looked at his watch.

"Where are you?"

Daniel coloured slightly even though Sam couldn't see him, but he could hear the amusement in her voice.

"_Em...I'm in my lab," he confessed._

Sam ignored the fact that her friend should have been home by now and asked him something she knew he wouldn't be able to refuse, knowing how worried she was.

"Daniel are you too busy to do me a favour?"

"_You want me to go check on Jack?" _Daniel knew it; she didn't have to ask. He could tell from her voice that she was worried.

"Could you? Please."

"_Of course I will Sam. When I see him I'll get him to ring you. Okay?"_

"Thanks Daniel."

"_No problem Sam. Talk to you later. Bye!"_

Sam replaced the phone and sat for a long time hugging her knees wondering where her love was. She still couldn't shake the feeling that he was in pain. She was sure she'd heard him cry out to her.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel banged on the door but the house was in complete darkness and there was no sign of Jack's truck on the drive or in the garage. Using his key, he let himself in, flicking on the hall light, then went in search of his quarry.

Minutes later he locked the door behind him and slipped next door to bang on Gene's door.

The door opened just a little and Gene peered round the chain. When he saw it was Daniel he shut the door, slipped the chain off and opened it to admit the young man.

"Daniel. What's wrong?" Gene asked, tying off his robe.

"Look, I'm sorry to bother you Gene, but when was the last time you saw Jack?" Daniel stood looking forlorn, hugging himself. He didn't like this one little bit; he had a bad feeling about this. As far as he knew, it looked like Jack had gone missing for some reason. He'd already spoken to General Hammond and he hadn't known where Jack was either.

"Earlier this evening. Why? What's wrong Daniel? For god's sake tell me!"

Daniel reached out and gripped Gene's arms, trying to calm him down.

"Hey! Calm down." Daniel dropped his arms again and spread them wide in anguish. "It's just that nobody has seen or heard from Jack in a while. He's not on the base and he's not at home. He's obviously not here. Sam rang me and asked me to check on him but I can't find him, and I...I just don't know where else to look." Daniel was frustrated and didn't know what to think. "I'm worried about him," he admitted. Gene nodded in agreement.

"We were gonna finish our game of chess tonight. I bought Chinese, but he didn't show up. I...I thought he'd perhaps been called back to the base. I wish now that I'd called to confirm it. I just didn't think anything of it."

"This is not your fault Gene," Daniel assured him.

"I'll check the hospitals," Gene suggested, though Daniel didn't really want to think about that possibility.

"I'll check with the police."

They both ran through the phone books for the local precincts and the hospitals, but they were no nearer learning anything about what had happened to Jack by the end of the night.

Gene made some more coffee while Daniel phoned General Hammond to give him the bad news.

Gene flopped down into the armchair and scrubbed his hands over his tired features.

Daniel was standing at the window watching the snow falling and covering the ground. He snapped the phone shut and turned with a sigh.

"I have to get back to the base. General Hammond's calling a briefing and I have to be there. I'll ring you and let you know if... when we find out anything." He drained the coffee from his mug and grabbed his coat. He was tired, but that wasn't anything new. He was used to pulling all-nighters with his type of work. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone without sleep and it probably wouldn't be the last.

"I'll be waiting right by the phone."

Daniel nodded to Gene as he was shown out, neither of them saying anything; there wasn't much either of them could say. Both were worried. He scraped the snow from his windshield and windows and drove off, feeling more than a little anxious for his friend.

OoOoOoOoO

The first thing Daniel had done on reaching the SGC, was to call Sam. General Hammond then arranged for her to be flown home via a fighter jet. She would take second seat behind Colonel Sanderson and would be landing at Peterson in a few hours.

General Hammond, Teal'c, Daniel and Janet along with SG-2 were all seated round the briefing room table, which was scattered with papers among the coffee cups and glasses of water. So far they had drawn up a contingency plan but were waiting on any further information on where they were to put it into action. Jack could be in any city in any state by now.

They seemed to be getting nowhere until Walter interrupted them.

"Sir," he said approaching the General. "There's an outside call for you on line one. I think it has something to do with Colonel O'Neill's disappearance."

Hammond shot out of his chair and hurried into his office, snatching up the phone.

"Hammond!" he barked into the receiver.

"_If you wish to locate your precious missing officer," the voice spat with disdain, "then go look for him in one of those derelict warehouses on the edge of town off 115. You might actually get lucky and find he's still alive."_

Before Hammond had time to question the person behind the electronic voice, the line went dead. He dropped the phone back onto it's hook and hurried outside to tell his team to go find Jack and gave them the instructions. Janet was to go with them too, judging by the information given, she would be needed.

They didn't need telling twice as they scrambled for the exit.

General Hammond could only watch them hurry off and wish them god speed, hoping they would find Jack in time. He was shocked by the turn of events. They had all been lulled into a false sense of security thinking that the culprit had been found, but here was new evidence to prove they had been wrong in their assumptions. It was looking more like Robinson had an accomplice and wouldn't give up on attempting to take Jack out. Though this could also be a completely new scenario too. He went back to his office. It was time to give Colonel Mayhew another call.

OoOoOoOoO

There were several huge warehouses along that stretch of road and so far they had come up empty. The place they were now entering was the fourth one on the list. They were cautious and fully aware that there could be booby traps set for them.

Daniel and Teal'c were paired off; Janet waiting in the car until called for. SG-2 paired off and tackled the other entrances.

Daniel poked his head round a graffiti smothered wall and groaned. He could see a figure lying stretched out on the floor unmoving. It was definitely Jack; the back of his silver haired head marred by what Daniel could only assume was dried blood, and his heart rose up into his throat. He was about to run towards him when Teal'c grabbed the back of his Jacket.

"Wait Daniel Jackson. It could still prove to be a trap."

Daniel sighed in frustration but bowed to Teal'c's wise caution. Jack could be wired with explosives for all they knew. Teal'c radioed the others, and together they moved in slowly checking the whole area.

Daniel wanted so much to run to his friend. Jack was slumped on the floor either asleep or unconscious, but was being held in place by chains. Daniel winced as he noted that Jack must be frozen to the bone. He was only wearing a long sleeved T-shirt and pants. His coat was missing and the temperature last night had hovered around zero C. The snow that had fallen during the night had since melted away in the wan sunshine of the morning leaving a wet slush everywhere.

Teal'c approached the frighteningly inert figure of his commander and checked him out. He was clean of booby traps. He nodded to the others and Daniel yelled into the radio for Janet. Teal'c checked for a pulse and grimaced. It was there but faint and weak and there were pools of blood around his knees, his pants torn and saturated with the dark stains.

They worked quickly to unfasten the chains to lower Jack's arms to his side, then unchained his ankles. There were several volunteers to help turn him over so that Janet could get a good look at him. Jackets were shed and draped over Jack's still form in an effort to warm his chilled body.

_This old man, he played three._

_He played nick-nack on my knee._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone..._

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

_Sorry to keep you guys waiting. It took me a while to gather all the info I needed and to get my thinking cap back on my head after not using my writing brain for a few days._

_Thanks as always for all your great reviews._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

They worked quickly to unfasten the chains to lower Jack's arms to his side, and then unchained his ankles. There were several volunteers to help turn him over so that Janet could get a good look at him. Jackets were shed and draped over Jack's still form in an effort to warm his chilled body.

Chapter 13

_This old man, he played three._

_He played nick-nack on my knee._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone..._

The plane rolled to a gentle halt. There was a slight hiss as the cockpit adjusted to the air pressure outside and then slowly opened.

Sam clambered down the steps and took off her helmet waiting for the car to approach them. She looked expectantly towards the driver.

"Thanks for the flight Colonel," she said turning to Sanderson as he joined her on the ground.

"You're welcome Major. Give my regards to Jack when you see him. I hope he's gonna be okay."

"I will, thank you sir, and so do I."

The car door opened and a young airman exited, stood to attention and saluted.

"My orders are to take you to the SGC Ma'am."

Sam saluted in return and nodded, then climbed into the back seat of the car after nodding a farewell to Sanderson.

As they drove through the streets, Sam ignored the passing scenery; all her thought's naturally turning to wonder how Jack was faring. She'd heard the news of his 'rescue' over the radio on her way to Peterson, mid flight and could only be thankful for that; how he was in the physical sense, was knowledge nobody had passed on to her except to say he would be okay. She had no idea in what state she would find him when she finally reached the SGC.

It had come as a huge shock to discover that Jack had been abducted. Her heart had plummeted to her feet and nausea had gagged at her throat, making her want to retch when Daniel had called her back with the bad news. She'd overcome the worst of those feelings though when he'd kept in touch and General Hammond had arranged for an emergency flight back to Colorado Springs. Even though she knew Jack was going to be okay, it still didn't stop her from worrying about him, especially as she knew none of the details regarding his captivity.

The car pulled up at the gates to the base before she'd realised where exactly they were. She was hurried through the security measures and was dropped off at the entrance. Daniel's friendly face was there to meet her and fill her in on the details of Jack's condition.

"Glad you're back, Sam. He's been asking for you."

"How is he Daniel?"

"He was a little battered and hypothermic when we found him, but Janet says he'll be fine...given time..." Daniel paused, not sure how to tell her anything more.

"But?" Sam sensed there was more and her friend was delaying the worst to come. "Daniel!" she cried in frustration when he remained silent for longer than necessary.

"It's his knees Sam. There was some damage. The bastard went for his knees, then chained him to the floor, knees down. He was in a lot of pain."

Sam took a moment to comprehend the information; her brain was trying to work out how anyone could do that to Jack, and wondering if he could possibly carry on here. He loved his work; going through the gate was something he was proud to do. What if this put an end to that? What would it do to him?

She was quiet for so long, Daniel took hold of her elbow, his face when she turned to look up at him, was full of concern.

"He'll be okay Sam. Maybe a little more annoyed than normal, but he'll be okay. He'll need you..."

"Don't!" Sam had to stop those thoughts. She wouldn't allow Daniel to make her think the worst. She had to see Jack first and he would recover, even if...? Her thoughts turned to her father. Maybe she could call on her dad to use the healing device as a last resort? Would he do that for Jack? Of course he would; he and dad always seemed to get on well, even if they didn't always see eye to eye over the Tok'ra's abrasive methods on occasion. On more than one mission instigated by the Tok'ra, they had met with far more 'resistance' than expected, and which had ended in almost total disaster. "He will get over it Daniel. I promise. I'm putting in a request for General Hammond to call dad if there's nothing else that can be done."

Daniel nodded, but kept silent, wondering if they just should go ahead and call Jacob anyway. It would save Jack a lot of pain and physical therapy for weeks to come.

OoOoOoOoO

"How is he?" Sam whispered to Janet when she'd arrived in the infirmary.

Janet had been quietly checking over the equipment that was set up to monitor his vital signs around Jack's bed while he slept.

"Well, he's finally resting peacefully. As for the hypothermia, that's not too bad. I'm giving him some warming fluids through the IV along with warmed and humidified oxygen, and plenty of warm blankets. That's the easy part..." Janet sighed. Jack had been through so much lately, he really could have done without this. They had all dropped their guard around him after the AFOSI team assured them the threat had been eliminated. How wrong could they have been? It made her blood boil again, just as it had when she'd gotten a good look at him after they'd found him. She took a deep, calming breath; she was a professional, and needed to focus on that aspect rather than this was her friend lying there battered; but luckily, not so broken that she couldn't fix.

"What about his knees? Daniel said there was some damage?" Sam was half afraid to ask.

"That's more of a problem, but not insurmountable," Janet whispered, looking back at the forlorn figure lying still on the bed. "There's a lot of swelling and superficial damage; I ran a few scans to make sure there was nothing broken, but he does have some bruising to the bones, so that's gonna take a while to heal. Actually, I've spent most of the time cleaning the open wounds from the gravel."

"What?"

"Grit, gravel. Whoever did this, forced him to lie face down in a layer of small sharp stones after they had battered him. They chained him like that, so the dirt got in everywhere. His bloodied knees were full of it, and as you can see, his face was all scraped too. He said they had swung something that felt like a baseball bat specifically at his knees. He'd tried to defend himself of course but his hands were tied and he was blindfolded so he couldn't see what was coming. He has a lot of deep bruising to his thighs and shins as well, where they'd just lammed into him. I've packed both knees with ice to help reduce the swelling and elevated his legs; I've given him some Ibuprofen to help with the pain and swelling. He's going to be real sore and stiff for a while yet Sam, oh, and he is sooo not a happy camper." Janet rolled her eyes when she remembered how he vented his anger and frustration when he'd become more lucid.

"Can I sit with him?" He had every right to be angry. That was nothing new to her. She'd seen him at his worst but still loved him, knowing it wasn't directed at them so much as to whoever the guilty party was for putting him out of action. He soon got over it.

"Sure, go ahead. I'll be in my office if I'm needed. I have to write my report for General Hammond. You okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Just worried is all."

Janet smiled and gave Sam a quick hug to reassure her.

"He'll be fine Sam. No problem .

Sam stood by his bed for a moment, gazing down at Jack's relaxed features. His wrists were taped from where the shackles had cut into his flesh and she surmised that his ankles would be the same.

Sitting down on the hard plastic chair by his side she took his long fingers and caressed the back of his hand gently. She could hardly bear to see him hurt again. Whoever was doing this was some sick bastard. Jack had barely gotten over one thing before something else happened.

Jack stirred in his sleep and Sam watched closely for any signs of his waking. There was a fleeting expression of pain that flittered across his face before sleep took him away once more. It seemed to her that she had been in this position far too many times lately. She wondered if they would be able to catch this maniac before he could inflict any more harm, or, god forbid, any fatal injuries. It almost seemed that whoever it was was toying with Jack's life. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for his actions, and they needed to stop it. Now!

OoOoOoOoO

"What's Colonel O'Neill's condition Doctor?" Hammond wasn't a happy man, though he was relieved that Jack didn't seem to be badly injured.

"Apart from some deep bruising to the bone and the muscles, there's surprisingly little actual damage sir. I expected a lot worse when I first saw his condition."

"How long will he be out of action this time?

Janet sighed and glanced down at her notes.

"It could be anything from a few weeks to a few months, sir, depending on how well he copes with his mobility. He's fit for his age and we both know how bad his knees have been in the past..."

"Exactly!" Hammond surmised gloomily. Just lately Jack had been recovering from injuries for more time than he had actually spent at work. Perhaps it was time to give him the option he was looking for, allowing him more time to recuperate and sort out his private life.

Hammond dismissed Janet and sighed long and morosely, leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled against his lips as he rested his forearms over his ample midriff. What to do for the best uppermost in his mind.

_This old man, he played three._

_He played nick-nack on my knee._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

_Thanks_ _for the reviews guys. Glad you're still with me. Sorry it's a shorter chapter than normal, but the next one will be longer. Fluffy too. Promise!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Hammond dismissed Janet and sighed long and morosely, leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled against his lips as he rested his forearms over his ample midriff. What to do for the best uppermost in his mind.

Chapter 14

_This old man, he played three._

_He played nick-nack on my knee._

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

Jack woke with a start and with difficulty, climbed to his feet; bemoaning the fact that he'd been sitting down for far too long in one spot. Biting down the pain, he moved as quickly as his stiff limbs would carry him in order to get to the door before whoever was leaning on the doorbell blew the damn fuse.

Wondering who the hell was calling at this time of the day or should that be night, Jack noted as he glanced at his watch. It couldn't be the guys, they were off-world, and Gene had gone back to his house, albeit rather reluctantly, around an hour ago. Besides, the man had a key so it couldn't be him who was being impatient out there. He yanked the door open with a growl only to find General Hammond standing there looking worried.

Jack scrubbed at his sleepy face and sighed with something between relief and sheepishness.

"Sorry sir, c'mon in."

"Did I wake you Jack? I'm sorry, I saw the light was on and thought you'd still be up. I was starting to get worried when you didn't answer. I was just about to go next door to find Gene."

"It's okay General," Jack swept away the General's excuse. "I hadn't realized I'd actually dozed off for a bit. Guess I was more tired than I thought. Can I get you a beer? Coffee?"

"Nothing thanks Jack; this isn't exactly an unofficial visit."

"Ah. Right." Jack sighed still trying to shake the fog of sleep from his brain. He'd wondered why George was still in uniform. He gestured towards the steps down into his living room for the General to take a seat.

"Make yourself at home sir."

Hammond sat down on the edge of the armchair waiting for Jack to sit himself down too. He watched Jack carefully, noting that the Colonel was still in some considerable pain.

"How're you doing son?" Hammond asked first, the genuine concern for his subordinate showing in his round face.

"A little stiff, a little sore still, but I'm getting there. Doc says another few weeks of physical therapy should be enough to get me back on light duties."

"That's why I'm here Jack. I have something of a proposal to put forward to you while you're recuperating, and until we can find a solution to yours and Major Carter's personal situation."

Jack pursed his lip in thought. He'd guessed that the big guns at the Pentagon were having second thoughts about him and Sam serving on the same team together, despite the President giving them his blessing. He'd trodden on too many toes in the past to earn their approval over anything much. There were a few of the top brass in Washington that were on his side; Generals Jumper and Ryan for a start. It had worked in the past, what difference would it make if they both bore the same name?

"Jack?"

"Uh. Sorry sir." He scrubbed a hand over his face and tried to concentrate on what the General had to say.

"Have you two settled on a date yet?"

"Ah, yes sir. Your attendance is obligatory of course sir." Jack grinned at the older man who nodded back with a chuckle.

"I should think so too. So when is it? I have to make sure I'm available that day."

Jack wasn't sure if the General was serious or not, but Hammond's grey eyes sparkled and Jack relaxed again.

"The twenty-first sir. Just before Christmas. Sam wanted Christmas day but they were already fully booked by the time we got around to asking."

"That soon?"

"We didn't wanna wait," Jack retorted with a shrug and a dismissive wave of his hands. "We've been waiting like forever sir."

Hammond nodded with understanding. He knew exactly what Jack was driving at. They'd both put their lives on hold in order to save the Earth from annihilation on too many occasions now. They deserved this.

"Point taken Jack. I'll make a note of the date and pray that nothing urgent crops up on that day."

"The Goa'uld are so not invited General. They show up on that day, we'll kick their asses."

"I thought that's what you did anyway?" Hammond grinned.

"Too right sir, but they still don't get to come when half the SGC will be otherwise occupied."

"I'll be sure to tell them that when I see one of them next," Hammond added dryly.

Jack snorted his amusement, but then his face grew serious.

"So what was the real reason you came all the way out here at this time of the night sir?"

Laughter aside, General Hammond visibly straightened in his chair.

"Well son, it's like this..."

OoOoOoOoO

Jack sat at the kitchen table, his hands round a hot mug of coffee. He watched the little column of steam spiral into the air while Gene packed away the few groceries he'd brought in.

Putting the last six pack into the bottom of the fridge, Gene straightened, one hand massaging his lower back.

"You okay?" Jack asked noticing the older man's distress for the first time.

"I'm fine. It's nothing being a decade younger wouldn't cure."

"Ha! Don't you believe it," Jack snorted. "Makes no difference whatsoever being ten years younger. Take it from me. I know!"

Gene chuckled looking over at his friend.

"You're just an accident looking for somewhere to happen, except these incidents aren't actually accidents. I'm beginning to think... Well, I don't know what to think but you're in worse shape than I am!"

"Okay," Jack pouted with a frown. "Bad example." Jack sipped at the drink and contemplated his life. It was going to take a dramatic turn soon. He and Sam were getting married and for the time being he would have a new position within the SGC. He really hoped the powers that be got their act together soon so that he knew exactly where he stood.

Gene sat down opposite Jack and picked up his own coffee.

"Penny for them?"

Gene's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Believe me they're not worth it," he replied, shrugging off Gene's concern, but didn't miss the fact that Gene was suffering silently.

"Is that all the groceries?" Jack asked, rising from the chair trying to hide the ache in both his knees. At least now he was able to move around quite reasonably without too much pain. It had been a few weeks since his abduction and beating. He was due at the Academy on Monday; lecturing the cadets on aerial combat techniques. At least he still got to be with Sam when she wasn't going through the gate. He'd missed the adrenalin rush that going off world created; that thrill of the unknown and the unexpected that surged through his veins.

"Not quite. I've got my suit from the cleaners on the back seat. I can get it later. You going?"

He sighed and nodded.

"Sam will be back soon. We still have some last minute planning to do. Thanks for the coffee. Stay there. Where's those keys of yours. I'll get the suit. I want my friend at my wedding, not in bed with a bad back."

"You know if you need anything... I'm always here Jack!"

"Yeah. Thanks." Jack patted Gene on the shoulder, touched by his words. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat then limped out to the car.

Gene had been good to him over the last six months that they'd been neighbours. He knew he was lucky to have someone like him nearby. Apart from having Sam, and despite all the pain of the past few months, the man had been a godsend. His life had definitely been less lonely since his arrival.

_This old man, he played four..._

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

_Thank you all for the reviews...keep 'em coming guys!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Gene had been good to him over the last six months that they'd been neighbours. He knew he was lucky to have someone like him nearby. Apart from having Sam, and despite all the pain of the past few months, the man had been a godsend. His life had definitely been less lonely since his arrival.

Chapter 15

_This old man, he played four..._

Jack had the door open the minute he heard the car pull up outside. Standing on the doorstep he waited impatiently for his visitor; his dark eyes never leaving the sight before him.

Then she was there, practically leaping into his embrace, but careful so as not to overbalance him or hurt his tender knees. His arms wrapped around her slim form as their lips met in a frantic, scorching kiss. Their hungry souls meeting; joining together through the heated connection. Hands seeking reassurance that this was no mere dream conjured up on a lonely night.

After what seemed like an hour they both broke off, breathless but exultant. Jack's hands sought her cheeks as he gazed adoringly into bright blue eyes alight with love.

"I've missed you," she sighed with a sappy smile, her eyes shimmering with moisture from emotions running high.

Jack's face broke out in a huge grin and his crooked thumbs brushed away at the over spilling joy.

"I'd never have guessed," he snickered pressing closer, plastering her back against the closed door. "I missed you too!"

She pushed against him playfully. Yeah, she could tell!

He let loose a deep growl and rolled his eyes heavenward. Releasing her from the bear-hug he took her hand and led her towards the bedroom.

She resisted, pulling him to a stop. He looked back at her; his eyebrows knitted together with a frown.

"What?" he asked, frustration clearly colouring his voice.

"We have things to discuss Jack. The wedding?"

"All been taken care of!" he explained

Now it was her turn to gape. He shrugged.

"It's fine. I had some help. Janet was only too happy to finalize the arrangements. I'll tell you all about it. Later!" he emphasized with a waggle of his eyebrows. "Coming Sam?"

He tugged on her hand and this time she followed happily; the wedding details would just have to wait for a little while.

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Mayhew wasn't taking any chances this time. He'd suggested, much to Jack's annoyance, that he should be guarded 24/7. Jack on the other hand didn't want one of Mayhew's team babysitting him everywhere he went. As a compromise, and one which Mayhew was more than agreeable on, was that he should be accompanied by Teal'c until they'd cracked the case and it was deemed safe.

The AFOSI had delved a little deeper into Robinson's files and came up with a few interesting facts that had been overlooked before. What had come to light was that the man had been blackmailed. For what and the why still remained a mystery, but they had found new evidence to corroborate this hidden away in a secret hiding place in Robinson's apartment. All they had to do now was figure out if there was a connection linking this with the past attempts on Jack's life.

OoOoOoOoO

So life went on, and while Jack, accompanied by an even more intimidating Teal'c, lectured about subjects close to his heart, like aerial combat tactics, to the cadets at the Air Force Academy, Sam had been happy to reprise her role as scientist in her lab; rather than head off-world with another team. The wedding was too close for her to risk getting injured or worse. She wouldn't do that to Jack.

SG-1 had been put on temporary stand down anyway due to Jack and Sam's involvement and until the Pentagon had decided what to do with the pair of them in the future. It was both frustrating and yet satisfying to be able to be together every evening without having to worry about preparing for a mission or whether they wouldn't get to go home at night because of an emergency. Yep...life was sweet.

OoOoOoOoO

If Jack O'Neill was nervous then it never showed as he sat on the pew right at the front of the church waiting for his bride to arrive. Beside him Daniel could barely keep still; he was more nervous than anyone for some reason.

Security around the chapel was tighter than a drum; so much that Jack almost felt stifled by the limitations placed against him. He was literally surrounded by security measures. The bullet-proof vest uncomfortably concealed beneath his dress blues was one issue that he'd reluctantly agreed to, to appease Colonel Mayhew.

The AFOSI team had insisted that they play this their way. They wouldn't put it past this psycho to try something to ruin this special day for the couple. They had come back just after the latest incident, but so far had drawn another blank. They had their suspicions but nothing could be proven as yet.

Jack looked up into Teal'c's face as the muscular Jaffa approached, silent as ever.

"Teal'c? Everythin' okay?"

"Indeed O'Neill."

"But?"

"My symbiote is uneasy."

"But you can't put your finger on it huh?"

"I cannot!" the Jaffa sighed with regret. He could see Colonel Mayhew talking discreetly into his lapel as he made contact with the other members of his team who were dotted here and there among the exclusive congregation. He had a distinct feeling that something was building. What exactly that would be, he could not say, but his instincts had never yet failed him before and it had kept them alive on many a mission gone south.

"Nothing's gonna happen. This place is swarming with security so relax. You're making me nervous." Jack complained.

Daniel turned in his seat for the umpteenth time, darting a look behind him yet again. He heard Jack sigh before the man turned to face him, his face scrunched up in annoyance and frustration.

"Daniel!" Jack growled softly. "If I'd known you'd be like this, I'd have asked Teal'c to be my groomsman!"

Daniel slumped in his seat; his chin dropping to his chest and his eyes studying his shiny black shoes.

"Sorry Jack. I...em..." he broke off to glance behind him again making Jack roll his eyes once more with a groaned plea for patience.

"What is it with you two? Jack's patience was wearing thin.

Daniel's face lit up and he nodded to someone behind Jack. He stood up and nudged Jack who stood slowly and turned carefully. The last thing he needed right now was to twist his knees awkwardly.

When he did turn, he received the biggest surprise of his life. He stood stock still for a moment as he took in the little wizened old lady hanging onto General Hammond's arm. She was standing before him with tears in her eyes, having come all this way just to see him get married.

A huge smile broke free and Jack reached down and embraced the tiny woman in a huge hug.

"Mom!" he whispered as she hugged him back tightly.

"Oh my, Jack. Oh Lord how I've missed you son." Her voice was reedier than he'd remembered, thin and fragile from the passing years.

He hadn't seen her since Charlie died. Because of failing health, she'd been living with his domineering sister Miriam who treated Jack like nothing more than dirt under her feet. It was a wonder that Miriam had even let her out of the house, let alone come to Colorado Springs. He'd had many an argument with her about how she'd treated their mother. He'd stormed off during the last heated argument when she'd blamed him for Charlie's death. He'd regretted the stupidity of his actions when he'd been banned from visiting them for the foreseeable future. Yet here she was.

He released her and stood up to his full height, but held onto her elbow as he made her sit down on the pew at her side, behind his own seat and next to Gene.

"How did you manage to escape from Miriam's clutches Mom? Who brought you here? How?" He was agog with curiosity but he was also angry. At the moment he was keeping a tight rein on those feelings.

"Uh that would be my doing Jack."

Jack's head spun round to look directly at his friend, but turned back to his Mom, unwilling to take his eyes off her.

"You brought her here? How so Daniel?"

"Sam mentioned that you would have liked your Mom to attend the wedding but you hadn't seen her in a while because of...things," he sighed, waving a hand in the air, knowing Jack would understand his meaning. "So, I went up to Minnesota while you were recovering and talked Miriam into letting your Mom come to your wedding. We took good care of her Jack we flew her here in a fully equipped medical aircraft."

Jack didn't have anything to say at that. He couldn't answer without giving vent to his mixed feelings. His Mom had certainly changed in the last… what eight or nine years since he'd last seen her. She was old and wizened now. Her pure white hair thinned from the relentlessly advancing years. All he could do was bite on his bottom lip and smile at her. It was good to see her, but he didn't want her here.

Mary O'Neill only had eyes for her son. With watery eyes dimmed with old age she took in every nuance of his still handsome features; he looked so devastatingly good in his uniform. She found it hard to tear herself away from his face. She had always been proud of him, and she had missed him so much. Miriam had meant well, but she had always pined after her Jack.

Jack excused himself, standing up and glaring at Daniel, who frowned back, puzzled.

"Gene, will you look after Mom for a bit. I need to talk to Daniel. Mom, my friend Gene here, is going to keep an eye on you. I'll be back in a bit." He patted her on the shoulder and turned back to Daniel, his face as black as thunder.

Jack then grabbed Daniel by the elbow, barely keeping hold on his temper, and shoved him towards the side room. Checking it was empty, he pushed Daniel inside and shut the door behind them.

"What the hell crazy idea was this Daniel?" Jack exploded, waving his hands in the air in frustration.

"What? I thought it would be nice for you to have your Mom here," he defended himself. He was totally at a loss over Jack's attitude.

Jack paced the room, his head in his hands.

"Daniel. Daniel. Don't you see?" he gasped, jerking his hands into the air again. "As much as I really and truly wanted to see my Mom, and have her come to my wedding...she's frail..."

"Yeah. I know that Jack. As I said we were very careful with her. So what's the problem?"

"Why do you think we have all this security around me Daniel? If anything were to happen to me, which I sincerely hope it does not, then what do you think it would do to her if she saw anything? Huh? Did you ever think of that? What if I died right there in front of her? It would possibly finish her, Daniel."

Daniel stood silently as he took in the full implications his friend was driving at. He'd goofed. Big time. Now he understood perfectly Jack's initial reactions when Sam had mentioned about sending out an invitation to his own Mother and his utmost regret when he'd refused to do so. It was for her own safety and sanity that he'd decided against her being there.

"I'm sorry Jack. I...I didn't think."

"No Daniel, you never do! However it's too late now..."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. General Hammond poked his head round it and frowned.

"Anything wrong Jack?"

Jack sucked in a huge breath and shook his head. He glanced at Daniel, warning the young man that he was being held responsible for his health and ultimately his Mom's too. God help him if anything happened!

Hammond knew Jack had been ranting, he'd heard them as he approached the door. He wondered what had gotten Jack so upset today of all days. However there wasn't time for this now.

"We're ready Jack. It's time to take your place."

Jack nodded and straightened his tie; then pulled his Jacket down, making sure he was dressed properly.

"Okay Daniel let's go. And as soon as this is over get her out of here!"

He turned away abruptly and led the way out taking his place at the front beside the priest. He gave his Mom a cheeky smirk and a wink then his eyes sought out his bride as she began walking towards him when the first notes of the wedding march signaled the ceremony was under way.

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack with my door..._

_TBC_


	16. Chapter 16

_I'd like to thanks again for all the lovely reviews. Glad you're all enjoying this. We're about half way there now, so stay tuned as it were._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

He led the way out and stood up at the front beside the priest. He gave his Mom a cheeky smirk and a wink then his eyes sought out his bride as she began walking towards him when the first notes of the wedding march signaled the ceremony was under way.

Chapter 16

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack with my door..._

Colonel Mayhew had one ear tuned to what was going on in the chapel, as well as listening to the information pouring into his ear from the discreet earphone plugged into the other; his finger holding it closer against the noise of the service in the background.

"_Boss. I've got Colonel Crenshaw on the phone. He says he might have something for us."_

Mayhew acknowledged the message by softly speaking into his hidden microphone.

"I'm on my way," he replied. He glanced across at Major Robson and nodded, then made his way out to the van set up with all their surveillance equipment on board. He entered through the rear door and flicked on the radio.

"What have you got for me, Matt?"

"_I'm not sure Chuck. I'd been called in to investigate a possible homicide, but it's now looking like a probable suicide."_

"So what has that got to do with me?"

"_We did a little digging and we discovered he was being blackmailed."_

"As interesting as that sounds Matt, and for fear of repeating myself, what has that to do with this case?"

"_Yeah, now here's where it gets pretty interesting...he was a friend of Paul Robinson. They served together on the same team."_

"You're right. That is interesting. Anything else I should know about?"

"_You mean other than they were both being blackmailed? Could it be the same guy behind it?"_

"That's a possibility. Let me know if you come up with anything else. Right now I have my hands full."

"_Oh yeah the wedding. He must be some guy otherwise they wouldn't go to all this trouble."_

"Yeah well, apparently the President is a fan of his."

A long, low whistle emitted from the speaker and Mayhew snorted with amusement.

"_Gee. Some people get all the luck. I'd better let you get back to teacher's pet!"_

"Hey, I love you too! Keep in touch Matt."

"_Will do."_

Mayhew flicked the switch and the radio fell silent. Was there someone out there who could be blackmailing these guys into taking pot shots at O'Neill? If so, what was coming next? And more importantly, could they prevent it from happening?

OoOoOoOoO

Finally the service was over and Mayhew wanted to hustle the happy couple away, but Jack insisted he had to stay and say goodbye to his Mom, after he'd introduced her to his new wife. Mayhew ushered them all into a side room along with Daniel, Teal'c and General Hammond and then stood guard at the door while the chapel emptied of the other guests. A small reception was to be held at the O'Neill's house for those invited, and Gene went ahead to prepare the buffet along with Janet and Cassie.

Inside the room, Jack led his mother to a seat and sat her down. Sitting down beside her, he took her fragile hands in his, looking straight into her dark eyes.

"I'm really glad you could make it Mom. It was good to see you again. Now I'd like you to meet Samantha." Jack spoke slowly, articulating every word so that his Mom could hear and understand him clearly.

Jack tugged Sam closer and whispered in her ear before Sam could say anything. She looked at him with sadness but nodded an acknowledgement.

Sam squatted as best she could in her wedding dress and took one of her mother-in-law's hands in hers, leaning in to brush a soft kiss on the wrinkled cheek.

"It's really nice to meet you..." Sam faltered. This woman was a stranger to her, yet she now represented someone she hadn't had in a long time. How could she call her 'Mom', when the connotation meant so much pain to her?

"Mary!" Jack whispered. "Call her Mary." He understood Sam's reluctance to use that certain soubriquet.

"It's nice to meet you Mary."

Mary smiled and nodded, pulling her hand from Sam's, she lifted it to stroke it across Sam's cheek.

"I don't remember you," she said quietly. "I forget a lot now. Where's Johnny?"

"I'm here Mom." Jack took her hand again and smiled when she turned to see him.

She frowned up at him, reaching up to touch his silver hair.

"What have you done to your hair Johnny? You been playing in those ashes again? Your father will tan your hide if he catches you, ya know!"

Jack swallowed hard but didn't miss a beat.

"He won't catch me Mom. I'll be fine." Dad had died several years before Charlie, but now his Mom lived more in the past than in the present. Her world was confusing at best.

Daniel watched the touching scene from across the room. When he'd visited Mary he didn't understand Miriam's reluctance, but, too late now, he fully understood her reasons. He should never have insisted she come; though he couldn't regret that Jack got to see her again, perhaps for the last time. Miriam still didn't want him in her house. Alzheimer's was a terrible thing for all members of the family, he could see the effects reflected in Jack's dark eyes.

"You have to go home now Mom. Miriam will take good care of you. Daniel will look after you on the flight, okay. You remember Daniel?"

Daniel stepped forward and smiled.

"Hello Mary. Do you remember me? I'm Daniel Jackson."

"Such a nice young man."

Jack coughed and cocked his head at his friend, raising his eyebrows.

Daniel ignored him and helped Mary up.

"We're going for a little ride and then Miriam will meet us at the airport to take you home."

"Is it time for bed then?"

"Soon Mom. You take care and I'll give you a call." Jack hugged her again, and kissed her cheek, before looking up at Daniel.

"Take her home Daniel. Make sure she's okay."

"I will Jack. I promise." Daniel patted Jack's shoulder and took Mary's arm to help her along.

Jack nodded, too choked up to say anything for the moment. Sam bid Mary goodbye too and stepped into Jack's embrace, knowing he needed a hug right now as they watched Daniel usher the old lady from the room. Teal'c followed, leaving the two of them alone. When the door shut behind the Jaffa, Jack melted into Sam's arms, needing and finding solace there.

OoOoOoOoO

The reception was in full swing. Nothing untoward had happened during the wedding for which everyone had breathed a sigh of relief.

Both Jack and Sam had changed into casual clothes and were enjoying the party. There was plenty of food to go round, and ample bottles of wine, beer or soda.

Cassie had been over the moon at her two most favourite people, after her Mom of course, getting married; especially as she had been Sam's maid of honour. Now the teenager was entertaining George and Jacob with tales of life at school.

Ferretti claimed everyone's attention to make an impromptu speech, telling funny anecdotes from their past missions, much to Jack's embarrassment.

A cry of 'Speech!' rent the air and Jack was pushed into the middle of the room to give them the usual chat about how he fell for Sam etc., and when he'd finished he beckoned Sam to his side. There were more cries of encouragement for Jack to kiss the bride.

Jack needed no further hints and put his arms around his wife, kissing her on the lips. Everyone held their breath as the kiss deepened. The whistling and cheering grew louder until they broke off, both breathless, to applause.

Jack bowed to his audience while Sam blushed and giggled helplessly. Jack held a finger up to silence the noise.

"Sam, I have a little something for you that I bought for this, our special day. I'll be back in a minute. Just stay right there." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, grabbed his keys, disappearing outside.

He pointed the remote towards the truck to unlock the doors. Yanking open the door, he fumbled in the glove compartment for the little velvet jewel case. His fingers wrapped round the box and he smiled at the thought of seeing her face when she opened it. Backing out of the truck, he hurried away, slamming the door shut behind him.

A blinding flash lit the area and a deep resonating boom filled the air as the truck exploded into a ball of flames. Jack was knocked flying by the blast and tumbled headlong onto the concrete drive several meters away.

Dust, smoke and debris filled the air; the windows of the house shook and some even shattered from the shock wave.

There was a sudden lull as those inside came to realize what had happened; a few received injuries from the flying glass and from where they were knocked off their feet.

Everyone ran outside.

"JACK!"

Sam screamed in denial when she saw him lying crumpled and unconscious amid the smoking debris, the clothes on his body shredded from the blast leaving lacerated, burned and blackened skin in its wake.

Hammond barked orders for someone to call an ambulance and the fire department while Janet was already on her knees beside the still form, assessing his condition.

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack with my door,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack..._

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

_I really do apologise to you all for keeping you hanging on so long for this next part. I'm afraid this part isn't very long, but I wrote this before I became ill. I had been having visual problems and went along to see my Optician who diagnosed Papilloedema...swelling of both optic nerves. I thought I was going blind – a scary thought. An urgent visit to the hospital followed and a CT scan showed I had developed Benign Intercranial Hypertension...too much pressure of fluid inside my head. This was relieved by a Lumbar Puncture. I had an MRI after a few days rest where I was beset by dizziness, nausea and deafness, which has lessened, though still a problem. I'm home now but under constant supervision by the Ophthalmologist at the local hospital and the Neurologist at the City hospital. It is an ongoing ailment and I could have repeat performances at any time for the rest of my life._

_Therefore I apologise most sincerely for making you wait, but unfortunately until my eyes are back to normal once more, the next chapter will be some time in coming. I had help in writing this to explain things to you. I just didn't want you all to wonder what had happened to the story._

_That said, I hope you will be patient with me. Thanks for bothering to read this announcement! Sorry it wasn't better news._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Hammond barked orders for someone to call an ambulance and the fire department while Janet was already on her knees beside the still form, assessing his condition.

Chapter 17

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack on my door,_

_With a nick-nack, paddy whack..._

There was much confusion as Janet was barking out orders for blankets and for someone to fetch her little black bag. The one she never went any-where without.

Teal'c was holding onto a sobbing Sam, who was trying to get to Jack.

Hammond and Gene were corralling the other guest's around to the back of the house, away from the scene.

It seemed only minutes later that the Fire truck arrived and the men were busy dousing the flames still licking at the remains of Jack's pride and joy.

The ambulance arrived only a minute or two later and Janet was busy instructing the crew all about the patient's vitals. She instructed them to take Jack to the Academy hospital.

"Sam honey, he's gonna be fine. Lucky for him you insisted he keep the Kevlar vest on. I don't think he would have survived the blast if he'd taken it off. Are you going with him?"

Sam nodded, biting her lip, trying to control her inner turmoil. Janet pulled her into a hug, than allowed her to climb into the ambulance.

"I'll meet you guys there," she said to Teal'c, meaning those closest to the couple. With a nod she climbed up behind Sam and the ambulance sped off.

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack on my door,_

_With a nick-nack, paddy whack..._

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

_Well folks, I've managed to write this next chapter to keep you going for a while. No telling when I'll get the next one written. Not too far away I hope. My brain is still fuzzy from my problems but I'm hoping it will sort itself out real soon. It's been a whole month now since the LP so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to think straight again before too long._

_I'd like to thank everyone for all their good wishes; I was very touched by your comments and prayers. God bless everyone of you! Thanks, especially to Michele for making this readable!_

_Now I can only hope that you enjoy this chapter!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

"I'll meet you guys there," she said to Teal'c, meaning those closest to the couple. With a nod she climbed up behind Sam and the ambulance sped off.

Chapter 18

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack on my door,_

_With a nick-nack, paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone..._

The police dispersed the small crowd of morbid onlookers, mostly the neighbours, who had gathered to watch the spectacle. They were unable to believe that this sort of thing could happen on their own street; it was something you saw on the news on the TV, but never experienced in real life; at least not here in suburbs of Colorado Springs. Though, if they thought about it, that Air Force Colonel neighbour had been having a lot of fuss going on around him recently. First there was the shooting; then the poisoning; and then before they knew it – he was hobbling around on crutches? It just didn't bear thinking about. The man was a trouble magnet!

The crowd broke up, returning to their homes nearby; but one spectator, watching from his car parked down the street, gritted his teeth as he put the car into drive and drove off. His mind was filled with concern. Worry over what would happen to him now? He could see, even from up the street, that he had failed. His blackmailer would, no doubt, have something to say about that.

He made his escape, not seeing the man who hated him so much among those gathered around. He knew that no matter where he went that that bastard would eventually find him. He toyed with the idea of confessing to the police, but then the guy would expose his unhappy past to the AF; something he just couldn't face – he'd been decorated and was a local hero; he just couldn't let those who looked up to him, down.

With a new determination he drove away, vowing to take the man down with him. After he was dead there would be nothing anyone could do to save his reputation, but, by god, he could stop that maniac from hurting anyone else. He knew there were others; the man had caught him and several of his colleagues in the act, and had held his peace until recently, calling in favours from them all. Favours none of them had any hope of avoiding if they wanted their records kept clean. Paul Robinson was an idiot and had very nearly sucked them all into his stupidity. Luckily the fool had gone to ground. But, even then, that smug bastard had found him; he knew where to look and had twisted the knife in him enough to make him pay for it with his life.

OoOoOoOoO

"How is he Major?"

Sam looked up and gave General Hammond a wonky smile as she brushed the tears away with the back of her hand.

"Janet said he has a concussion. He also has some nasty burns on his arms and legs but she says he's gonna be okay sir!" she sniffed, holding back the tears. Jacob pulled her into his arms and allowed her to vent her feelings all over again. She'd almost become a widow on her wedding day, and the truth of it had hit her hard. Jack was a survivor though, he would fight to the very last; but how much more of this could he take before...

After several minutes of being comforted by her dad, Sam had quietened into hiccoughs; that's when the huge Jaffa stepped forward and relieved the retired General from his position and he held his friend just as tightly, rocking her a little to comfort her. Gene offered his comforting arms to her too. Her whole day had been very nearly ruined. Jack could so easily have been killed by the explosion, but Sam's fresh tears were now of relief more than of sorrow. She had such a wonderful 'family' around her holding her up, shoring up her defences and keeping her from losing it. She had no doubts that she would have done so if Jack hadn't survived; she loved him that much and wasn't afraid to tell him so either, after all he'd more or less said the same about her.

The door opened and Colonel Mayhew poked his head round the door.

"Ah...General Hammond. May I have a word with you please sir?"

Hammond pulled himself up to his full height and controlled his temper. He had more than a few things to say to this younger man, though this wasn't the time or the place to blow his top. If Mayhew had done his job properly, Jack would be off enjoying his honeymoon right now instead of lying injured in a hospital bed once more.

He smiled at Sam and patted her on the shoulder before turning steely grey eyes onto Mayhew's disappearing and guilty looking figure. He followed the Colonel out into the corridor and down to a private area where they could talk.

OoOoOoOoO

A few moments later the door opened and Janet smiled at Sam.

"Sam. He's asking for you."

"I can see him?"

"Sure you can honey. C'mon, I'll show you where he is and then I'll leave you to it for a few minutes."

Sam followed Janet from the room, visibly happier than any time over the past three seemingly endless hours. Jacob let out a huge sigh of relief and flopped down onto a chair, thankful that Jack seemed okay, as did Gene. Teal'c actually sat down and took up a semi relaxed pose, as much as his impassive nature allowed at any rate; the tense atmosphere of earlier dissipating into thin air around them.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam hesitated at the doorway to Jack's room, but only for a second or two; enough to draw in a deep breath to calm herself. The last thing she wanted to do was burst into tears in front of Jack. It seemed that that was all she was doing lately, so she fortified herself against them; determined not to give in to her innermost turmoil.

Janet gave her a quick hug and left her at the door.

"I'll be back in a little while to check on him, but he's okay. A little disgruntled but then, who wouldn't be?"

"Thanks Janet. I know he trusts you. We both do. It means a lot to me that you're always there for him. Thanks!"

Janet shrugged away the compliments, too choked up to say a word to brush it off. Instead she just smiled and hurried away, hoping that the unexpected tears stinging her eyes wouldn't be noticeable until she was in the locker room, alone.

Sam pushed the door open and plastered a careful, cheery smile on her lips.

"Hey!" she called softly at her sleepy husband lying in the bed with just a sheet covering his lower half.

Jack opened his eyes and looked down his body to see his Sam. He couldn't help but smile in response.

"Hey!" he replied his voice just a little raspy from the effects of the smoke and muffled slightly from the oxygen mask.

By this time Sam had reached his side and bent over to sweep a kiss over his brow, brushing a few wayward strands of grey hair away.

"How ya doing?" Sam asked sitting on the nearby chair thoughtfully provided by someone, probably Janet. She pulled it closer to the bed and placed her hand on top of Jack's body, not wanting to hurt his bandaged arms.

"Me? I'm just peachy! What about you? I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Jack...don't! Okay? None of this was your fault!"

"Maybe not, but where the hell was Mayhew and his team? Certainly not looking after my six!"

Jack was angry, that much was clear, but Sam didn't have any answers. She bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. He had every right to be furious, but it wasn't what she'd come in to see him about.

Jack realised it too as he watched her actions and her eyes drop to the floor, looking away from him. He swallowed his anger, and as gently as he could he touched her hand with his.

"I'm sorry Sam. I know this is hard for you. I didn't mean...don't mean to take this out on you. You shouldn't have to put up with my anger as well as your own anguish. Sorry." He paused before adding, "Hey! I love you Mrs. O'Neill!" He so loved how that sounded.

Sam couldn't help but smile and lifted her eyes back to look into his again. God help her she loved him so much.

"I love you too...Sir!" A mischievous smile played on her lips and Jack's eyebrows rose on hearing his title.

"Sir?" he gasped. "Now listen here Carter..."

"Idiot!" Sam giggled. "I love you Jack O'Neill and don't you forget it. Whether you be Sir, Colonel or just plain ole' Jack. You belong to me now, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jack grinned from ear to ear.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you Samantha!"

"Just do me a big favour Jack!"

"What's that?"

"Just get over this so we can get on with living as a married couple, okay?"

"Yeahsureyabetya!"

Sam couldn't help but grin as his ready reply came interspersed with a yawn or two.

"Get some sleep Jack. I'll be right here for as long as it takes." She brushed another kiss over his brow, but he pulled the mask from his face and kissed her on the lips just as Janet walked it.

"Colonel, that mask is there for a reason," she snapped out all business like but winked at Sam who bit down a responding giggle. She replaced the mask with a frown and ordered him to go to sleep, slipping some medication into his IV, but after a few minutes of unnecessary protests, Jack fell asleep despite himself.

"I want to stay Janet." Sam looked at her best friend with pleading blue eyes and Janet sighed.

"Only if you get some rest first. Go eat, sleep for at least five hours and then come back, but not before, okay? He'll be out for hours yet, though I'll be checking up on him every hour."

Sam wasn't keen on going, but nodded. The main thing was that she could come back and hopefully before Jack woke to find her missing.

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack on my door,_

_With a nick-nack, paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

TBC.


	19. Chapter 19

_Hi everyone, yes it has been a long, long time between the last chapter and this one, but I finally got around to testing my brain power out on this. I hope you all like it. I've tried to inject a little humour here because it is such a dark fic on the whole._

_Thanks as always for you comments and for being patient with me. THANKS!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Sam wasn't keen on going, but nodded. The main thing was that she could come back and hopefully before Jack woke to find her missing.

Chapter 19

_This old man, he played four,_

_He played nick-nack on my door,_

_With a nick-nack, paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

As tired as she was Sam couldn't stop her mind from churning over everything that had happened; so sleep was a long time in coming. She was beginning to think about giving up the idea of sleep and sneaking back into the infirmary when she finally dozed off.

She slept like the dead for several hours before waking with a start. Glancing at her watch, she realised she had meant to be back at Jack's bedside long before this.

She leapt up and headed for the bathroom to make herself more presentable and then hurried off to see how her husband had fared during the night and discover if he was asleep or not. She doubted he was still sleeping but she hoped against hope that he was because of the drugs Janet had fed him.

Several people had stopped her on the way to ask how the Colonel was doing, so she arrived even later than expected. Luckily for her he was only just coming around.

Moving towards the bed quickly, she took hold of his hand and was there when he actually opened his eyes.

"Hey!"

"Hey to you too!" she replied, with a warm smile, glad to hear that his voice seemed stronger today. She offered him a drink of water and he swallowed some gratefully.

"You okay?" he asked after she'd returned the glass to the table.

"Me? I'm fine, why?"

"You look flushed." Jack looked closer and watched as Sam swallowed hard.

"I had to leave you for a bit, and I didn't want you to wake up alone."

"You got some rest?"

She never could hide anything from Jack. He always seemed to know things before she mentioned anything.

"Uh...yeah."

"Good! So you should. You needed it."

"What about you? How do you feel? And don't tell me you're fine Jack. I know you, remember. Don't lay that line on me."

"No?"

"No!"

"Ok...right. I'm sore and I hurt like hell. That okay?" She smiled at his analogy but that didn't mean she was happy about his condition by a long shot.

"You need anything for the pain?"

"Nope!" Jack sucked in a huge sigh. "You could do me a favour though?"

"What's that?"

"Ask Janet when the hell I can get out of here!"

"You can get the hell out of here when I say so Colonel and not before!"

Jack jumped at the intrusive voice of Dr. Fraiser and then winced in pain, as his body jerked. It said a lot about how bad he was feeling when he hadn't even noticed her entering the room.

"You keep that up Doc and I'll be staying in even longer. Give a guy a heart attack why don't ya!"

Janet ignored the comments and walked quickly to his side, reaching for his wrist and automatically fixing the oxygen mask back over his face. He scowled up at her but she glanced away at her watch while she took his pulse the old fashioned way.

"How are you feeling Colonel?"

Jack scowled again. He so hated that question, and this was the second time it had been asked within a few minutes. He didn't mind Sam asking it but it was a no go area coming from anyone else. The next person that asked him that he would... Well, whatever. If he could move without so much pain he would throw something at them and if his throat and chest didn't hurt so much he would yell but, God, he felt so damn useless lying here open to all and sundry for inspection.

He closed his eyes against the idea of feeling like a prize bull at a cattle market and subjected to just as much prodding and poking as well as ogling. He heard more footsteps and held his breath, knowing what was to follow.

"How are you feeling Colonel?"

Jack took a deep breath to fortify his patience but immediately regretted it when he couldn't stop the coughing fit that followed. He lay back gasping and took the offered drink from Janet when it appeared in front of him. That done he relaxed, slightly worn around the edges, but at least his lungs had stopped trying to climb out of his chest through his throat.

Janet replaced the oxygen mask and turned to face the General who had been the unfortunate trigger for Jack's reaction.

"As you can see sir, his lungs have been affected by smoke inhalation so it will be a little while before his breathing will return to normal again."

Jack had kept his eyes closed, but he knew Sam was still clinging to his hand and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that she was worried as hell about him. Who could blame her? He knew he would be just as bad or in fact worse if it was her in this situation. He felt a light but firm touch to his shoulder and knew it was Hammond.

"Take it easy Jack. We will get to the bottom of this. That's a promise."

Jack nodded, not trusting his voice to utter more than a guttural croak in its present state, but he knew the General would understand that. He felt the hand lightly pat the spot before leaving his body and then heard retreating footsteps and hushed voices at the door which he knew belonged to Janet and the General.

Gentle fingers brushed the hair back from his face and he forced his eyes open. Sam smiled down at him and he smiled back before she leaned in for a quick kiss to his brow.

"Love you!" she whispered softly, making his smile widen.

He would have answered if he could but instead he squeezed her hand, showing her that he loved her too. His eyes grew heavy and he was asleep before he was aware of them closing.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack sat on the side of the bed swinging his legs while he waited for Janet to get a move on. He had been under her tender mercies for the last week and now he was impatient to get home. The doctor had gone to get his medications and explain to Sam how to administer them. He'd already had a long lecture on what to eat and drink and what not to; the latter of course made up of everything he liked which was the reason for the scowl presently marring his face.

"Hey Jack. Your transport is here."

Jack's scowl deepened when he saw Teal'c pushing the wheelchair towards him and Daniel looking and sounding far too bright and breezy for his liking.

"Oh great!" Jack snipped. He was so looking forward to being pushed like an invalid through the base. Not! "I suppose that is really necessary?" He flicked a languid hand at the chair.

"Janet's orders Jack. You know the rules," Daniel replied with a smile.

"So how come you don't get to ride it up to the surface when I volunteer to take you home after another one of your mishaps?" he grumbled.

"Janet's seen your driving," Daniel responded quickly with a wry grin.

Jack shot him a look of daggers, his brows knit together as he silently chewed over the assertion that he couldn't push a wheelchair properly.

"What's wrong with my driving?" Jack began but was interrupted when Janet and Sam walked into the room. "I don't recall you complaining!" he muttered to Daniel.

"That's because he's usually too busy trying not to throw up in your truck Colonel," Janet answered as she came to stand beside him.

Sam giggled and he turned to fix her with a hurt expression.

"So," Jack straightened his back and fought back. Two could play at this game. "Does this mean that I get out of playing nursemaid every time Daniel gets sick? I wouldn't want him to suffer any more than he should. And I really don't want him, or anyone else for that matter, barfing all over the inside of my truck. It takes an absolute age to get rid of the smell."

"And from that I take it that it's alright to vomit all over the outside then?" Daniel added his own match to the fire.

Sam was having a hard time to stay neutral. She couldn't help giggling over the exchange.

"Et tu, Sam?" Jack growled, turning on her.

"Hey! Leave me out of this. You're the one with the shovel," she chortled. "But, if you want to go home today, I'd throw in the towel if I were you. Janet might change her mind."

"Oh no. Not on your life. He's all yours Sam. I want my infirmary back and my staff to come out of hiding." Janet was adamant he was leaving a.s.a.p. "Colonel, if you don't mind, your chariot awaits."

Jack sighed in resignation, glaring at all of them and then threw his hands into the air in frustration.

"Okay, okay. I know when I'm outnumbered. Daniel, get me outta here."

He lowered himself into the wheelchair and was pushed out of the door but not before he heard Janet's parting shot.

"Sam are you sure you won't need those sleeping tablets for the Colonel? At least if he keeps up with the whining you could slip one or two into his tea? You should be able to get a few hours peace while he sleeps."

If it wasn't for the fact that he would be eternally grateful to Janet and his team-mates and that they were his closest friends, there would surely be a few demotions on the next review list and maybe even a transfer or two. For now he ignored the slight on his character and began to think up ways in which he could return their touching friendship.

'Oh just wait until I'm back on my feet again,' he mused, smiling inwardly.

_This old man, he played five,_

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

_Hey there, a big round of thanks to everyone who sent in reviews for this story. You've had a little bit of light relief so now it's time to get back to the angst! That is Angst with a capital 'A' for which I give no apology. Hope you all enjoy it!_

_**As regards the rhyme** - Minds out of the gutters please! – and yes I know it doesn't quite rhyme, but it's the nearest I can think of that fits this part of the story._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

'Oh just wait until I'm back on my feet again,' he mused, smiling inwardly.

Chapter 20

_This old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack with my wife..._

Jack sauntered down the corridor, hands stuffed into his pants pockets, a smile playing on his lips; he was off to see Sam. He rounded the corner and stopped by her doorway, looking at his wife as she worked on some doohickey or other, totally engrossed. He leaned against the doorpost watching, wondering how long it would take for her to notice him standing there.

"I know you're there...sir," Sam interrupted his thoughts without looking away from the gadget on her bench.

General Hammond had proposed that Jack be stationed once again at the SGC, mainly for his own safety, that was, until they caught the maniac who was still after Jack. They'd held many briefings and debates about the Colonel's future while he was at home recovering. It had been some weeks now since the wedding, and Jack and Sam had missed Christmas altogether. Sam had wanted to celebrate at a later date after the culprit had been caught so that they could all relax and enjoy themselves. Then with all that out of the way they were going to go away for their long overdue honeymoon.

Jack straightened up with a smile and a shake of the head, always amazed that she knew he was nearby. It had been decided that they would retain their ranks for now although Jack, along with Teal'c and occasionally Daniel would take over the task of training the up and coming youngsters. After intense training in and around the base, they would then take them to the Alpha site for their first taste of an alien environment. Sam would continue to head the science labs, but they were to retain the former command structure while on base until their future had been determined.

"Carter," he acknowledged, sticking to her maiden name for ease of recognition. "What ya doin'?" He stepped into the room and stood beside her, peering over her shoulder at the strange device.

"If I told you...sir,...I doubt you'd understand a word I'd said."

Jack's eyebrows shot upwards at her playful tone, but they were quite alone, and she was grinning at him.

"Okay..." he sighed, knowing she was probably right. He rocked on his feet for a moment. "You finished with this, 'cause it's 18:00 hrs and you...we should be heading home."

Sam couldn't believe it was that late already.

"Really? Look, I've just got one more test to run. You go ahead, and I'll be along later. I won't be late. I promise. Please?"

Jack sighed, not entirely happy about it, but he knew full well how things worked at the SGC. He pouted a little, sending her puppy dog eyes which made her snigger.

"That won't work on me," she giggled, looking over her shoulder at the empty room to make sure they were quite alone. "I'm immune Jack. Go home! I'll join you as soon as I can."

"You sure? I could wait?" he suggested, only making her laugh outright this time.

"You and I both know you want to go home now. There's that game on tonight that you've been wanting to see for a long time. Go home Jack and watch it. I'll see you soon."

"I'd stay for you..."

"Go home!" she said determinedly. He'd talked of nothing else for the last week or so. Well, in between work and answering the call of his typical male hormones that is.

"Okay," he sighed again. He wanted her nearby, but once she'd got her hands on some alien technology he felt superfluous to her needs. As soon as he thought it he knew it wasn't true; he just hated going home on his own. The house seemed empty like it had before they were married. He missed her now that he was used to having her there.

"Hey!" she whispered in his ear, her hot breath sending little shivers racing all over his skin. "I love you!"

His smile banished all previous thoughts and he leaned in for a quick kiss. It would have to suffice for now until she got home.

"Love you too Mrs. O'Neill."

Sam watched him retreat, bouncing on his toes and whistling some nameless tune. She smiled to herself, more content with her life than ever before.

OoOoOoOoO

It seemed only a few minutes after sitting down to watch the game that Jack was disturbed by the doorbell ringing. With a frustrated groan he rose from his place on the sofa, wondering if perhaps Sam had changed her mind and come home earlier than she'd expected. But, if that was the case why hadn't she used her key?

The doorbell rang again and again, and Jack yelled out in annoyance.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!"

He yanked open the door and stood rooted to the spot, mouth agape in surprise.

"Jack!" she sobbed in obvious distress. "Can I come in?"

Jack shook himself and responded.

"Of course!" He grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her into the warm house, looking up and down the road to see if there was any sign of Sam. "What's happened?"

She threw her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder to weep. Without conscious thought, his arms wound round her thin frame in return, pulling her to him and he unconsciously pressed a light kiss on the top of her head. He moved them out of the way and closed the door, shutting out the night and the cold.

OoOoOoOoO

Gene thumped the TV and cursed a blue moon when the picture disappeared altogether. He swore again, turning his set off and grabbing his coat, he hurried out of the door. If he couldn't watch the game on his TV, then he was sure Jack wouldn't mind if he joined him, because knowing Jack, he would be glued to the TV just as he'd intended to be.

It was dark and freezing cold outside, but he could see the path clearly enough to navigate his way over the snowy ground towards Jack's house. He was in luck, Jack's new truck was on the drive, but he didn't see Sam's car so he guessed she must be still at work.

It wasn't until he saw Jack answering the door to some woman and allowing them entry before wrapping his arms around her, that he quickly revised his decision, and turned back to his own house once more cursing his luck. 'Ooops!' he sighed with a wry smile and raised eyebrows at what he'd seen. So, he was going to miss the game after all; but then, so was Jack by the look of things.

He wasn't sure what it meant, but he could imagine that Sam wouldn't be very happy about this turn of events. He felt rather uncomfortable about it, Jack being his friend and all; but he didn't want to see Sam hurt, and whatever Jack was doing with a strange woman it didn't sit right with him.

OoOoOoOoO

The man sat in the car and watched in disbelief. He checked the address over and over. He saw everything. His camera had captured it before the door was closed blocking his view. He couldn't sit by and watch this without saying anything. He felt disgusted. He just didn't want to see Sam get hurt but he should have known better than to trust someone in the damn military. They were always the same. He should know, he'd seen enough of it in his past.

He'd come all this way only to see Jack O'Neill with his arms round another woman instead of Sam. Well, he would soon put an end to that little lie. See if that man could squirm out of this when he'd revealed his shenanigans.

OoOoOoOoO

Some time later, Sam was finishing up in the lab. It was a lot later than she'd thought and finally she was making sure everything was secured for the night. Jack was so going to be annoyed with her for staying so late. The latest batch of results were now entered onto the computer, and she was about to shut the thing down when it pinged, letting her know that she had received a new e-mail. Sitting down on the chair, she opened up the mailbox, frowning when she didn't recognise the name.

Wondering if she should open the e-mail, she read the words in the subject box; something about the topic had her chewing her lips in doubt. It had crossed her mind that it could just be some form of spam but still her curiosity drew her to click on the 'open' box. _SamCarterO'Neill_

From: _AFriend_

_Sam. I was wondering if you were going to open this or not. I'm glad you've done so because although this may cause you unavoidable heartache, there is something I think you should know. _

_I have watched you from afar for a long, long time and although it saddened me a great deal to see you marry that jerk O'Neill._

_I've attached a few photos I took earlier tonight Sam. I don't think it's the first time this has happened, and for that I'm truly sorry it had to be like this. I would have wanted you to have the best, because that's what you deserve._

There was no name on the bottom of the note and Sam still had no idea what they were talking about. Her curiosity more than peeked now she opened the attachment and waited impatiently for it to open.

What she saw took her breath away.

She just could not believe her eyes; in fact she refused to believe what she was seeing.

At first.

Jack.

At home.

With another woman in his arms.

Kissing her.

The computer pinged once more and she jumped a little before realising it was yet another e-mail from this same person. With trembling fingers she clicked on the select and opened the mail.

_It's true Sam. I would never lie to you. Trust me! I am only thinking of you and your future. How can you bear to live with this guy knowing he was cheating on you? I couldn't stand by and let you go through life not knowing what was happening under your very nose. Leave him Sam! Forget him! He's not worth it! Please!_

Tears came unheeded and rolled freely down her cheeks as she read. Once more she studied the evidence in greater detail, convinced by now that they were actual photographs and not manipulations as she'd hoped. It had to be true. Jack was cheating on her? How could he? After all they'd been through together; all this time she'd spent nursing him through his ordeals? They'd only been married a matter of weeks. Why?

She didn't have an answer. How could she when she hadn't known any different? Now though, she knew and it was too much. Ignorance is bliss, they say, and Sam wished that she'd deleted the mail right away, but then she was glad she hadn't, because... She sobbed, burying her head into her arms across the desk while her heart broke.

Finally after what seemed an age, she sniffed back the hurt and pressed the 'print' icon giving her tangible evidence with which she could face Jack and demand an explanation. Hurt, humiliation and now anger surged through her veins as she flicked off the computer and locked up, before heading home.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack sighed with regret. He suddenly felt old. Very old! He checked the amount of amber liquid in his glass and tossed it back, revelling in the deep burn as it made its way down his throat. He glanced up at the clock only to find it was late. Very late. Sam should have been home hours ago but right now he was glad she was out of the way.

He was slightly tipsy. He knew that; it was nothing he couldn't handle. He sighed a deep bone weary sigh and stood on not too steady legs, heading for the kitchen. It was about time he cleared the kitchen up; didn't want Sam to come home to a messy kitchen.

Once the mugs and dishes were rinsed and put away again he checked the time, annoyed that Sam had stayed in her lab for far too long, yet in a way he was glad she wasn't here to badger him. He didn't want to have to face her with this just yet. 'There's a right time for everything,' he sighed unhappily.

Slumping down full length on the bed, he raised his arm over his eyes and let his mind wander over the past few hours.

"Crap!" he swore suddenly, getting up and pulling on his boots. He couldn't do this; it was more than he wanted to think about right now. There was only one place he knew of where he would find some semblance of peace of mind and that was his roof top observatory.

He let himself out, making sure to lock the door after him and then climbed the ladder up to the roof deck. Settling himself down, he gazed out at the stars sparkling brightly in the cold, clear night sky, closing his mind to everything that was endeavouring to sour his perfect life.

_This Old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack with my wife,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack..._

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

_Thanks as always to those who managed to send in a review amidst all the problems this site was having. You know how much I truly appreciate your comments._

_I would like to point out that I do love to put a few red herrings into my stories so please 'go with the flow' as they say and things will be explained further along in the story. _

_**Please don't take everything you read here as gospel, because sometimes things are not what they seem!**_

_That said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter too._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

He let himself out, making sure to lock the door after him and then climbed the ladder up to the roof deck. Settling himself down, he gazed out at the stars sparkling brightly in the cold, clear night sky, closing his mind to everything that was endeavouring to sour his perfect life.

Chapter 21

_This old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack with my wife,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack... _

A deep shiver wracked Jack's body and nudged him from his dreams. He roused slightly feeling the tremors hit him once more. The darkness of sleep receded and he opened his eyes, blinking away the cobwebs clouding his mind. He shuddered again and scrubbed his hands over his face groaning softly when he realised that he was still sitting on his roof top deck. A bottle that once held a damn fine whiskey was lying empty at his feet; and he had one hell of a hangover.

"Crap!" he moaned feeling sluggish, and then shivered once more. Staggering to his feet, he cautiously made his way to the ladder and taking even more care than usual he descended to the ground. Unlocking the door, he stepped through, making sure he locked it again behind him.

Once he was in the kitchen he made himself a cup of strong black coffee, trying to dilute the alcohol flowing through his veins. 'What the hell had possessed him to drink that much anyway?' he wondered. Sam would be furious with him.

On his way to through the sitting room he grabbed the throw rug from the back of the sofa and slung it round his shoulders, then turned the heating up. He was frozen to the core.

Pulling the chair out from under the table, he cringed as it scraped along the floor, but flopped down on it thankfully, and then holding the mug with both hands, sipped at the hot brew. Gradually he began to thaw, and sighed when his alcohol numbed brain came back on line so that he could think clearly once more.

Pouring himself another coffee, he began to feel better and casually glanced up at the clock. He blinked several times, sure his eyes were playing tricks.

"03:57?" he gaped. "Can't be!" he muttered to the empty room, unable to comprehend he'd been outside for that long and bemoaning the fact that he'd not worn his jacket, hat or gloves. "Idiot!" he added wryly. "No wonder I'm damn well frozen! Oh Crap, Sam!" He just hoped she was asleep in bed by now.

His mind conjured up all sorts of excuses for his behaviour, knowing she was going to be hopping mad with him. But, why hadn't she come looking for him? He really, really hoped she hadn't pulled an all-nighter at the mountain because then he would be the one who should be justifiably angry.

Approaching the bedroom door he could see it was still open. Not a good sign, and nope, Sam was definitely not asleep in their bed. He thumped the wall in exasperation. She'd better have a damn good excuse for working all night.

He was about to snatch up the phone and call her, demanding to know why she wasn't at home when he noticed something out of the ordinary. Now, Sam was neatness personified, and always made sure things were put away tidily before they went to bed or when they left for the SGC in the morning; unless of course there was an emergency, but that was her only excuse.

His eyes were drawn towards the closet where he could see something had been caught in the door, leaving it gaping open slightly, and one of her drawers wasn't shut properly. Puzzled by this, he stepped across the room to take a closer look, pulling open the drawer. It was empty. His frown deepened and his heart rate quickened. Yanking open the closet door, he flicked on the light and his heart missed a beat. Apart from his pants, jacket's and shirts hanging there, it was glaringly empty of his wife's outfits.

Sam's things had gone; all of them.

Stunned beyond belief, he stumbled backwards until the back of his knees hit the bed and he sat down abruptly unwilling to see the truth of what lay before his eyes.

Sam had left him? Just like that? No arguments? No explanations?

Shaking his head, he jumped up and dashed over to the chest of drawers and yanked every one of them open only to realise the painful reality of Sam's sudden departure.

He was totally clueless as to the reason why she had gone. Because, apparently, that was what she had done. He sank onto the bed again feeling utterly wretched. Hot tears leaked unbidden from the corners of his eyes and one or two rolled down his face, unable as he was to comprehend just how quickly his life had gone down the drain.

He'd been so happy with Sam; it was a long time in the making, but it had finally happened; they were married. So what went wrong? He thought Sam was happy too. Had all this living with an unknown assailant after his butt been too much for her? Had it been that proverbial last straw that had driven her away?

Sam. His Sam. Gone. Why?

Hadn't he had enough problems to deal with just lately? Was there a God up there who seemed to take great pleasure in seeing how much pain he could inflict on him in this life? Wasn't it enough? He'd risked life and limb several times over in order to save this world; hadn't he earned any happiness at all? It was like losing Charlie all over again.

After Charlie had died, things had started to pick up; he'd found a reason to live again and he'd actually enjoyed his new posting to the SGC. Especially working alongside one golden haired, blue-eyed genius that had captured his heart and redeemed his lost soul. And all for nothing apparently. She'd gone. His reason for living; gone! God help him!

He lay back on the bed, his head on Sam's pillow where he could still smell her essence lingering there; the fresh smell of herbs from the shampoo she'd used. Jack curled into himself, and closed his eyes in pain. Then finally without realising it, he fell into a troubled sleep.

OoOoOoOoO

"Jack!"

Jack roused slightly, feeling thick headed and muzzy.

"Hmmm?"

"Jack! Come on! Wake up!" Daniel shook the haggard looking man on the bed, wondering why Jack looked so terrible. If he was ill, maybe he should just call Janet. "Jack!" he yelled again, giving him a much harder shake.

"Go 'way!" Jack mumbled incoherently into the pillow.

"Jack! General Hammond wants to see you. Now!" Daniel persisted loudly, until Jack opened one eye to look at him blearily.

"Go t' hell!" came the grumbled reply, and Jack closed his eye again.

Daniel shoved Jack's legs over and plonked himself down on the edge of the bed. There was no way he was leaving Jack there when there were a million questions needing answers that couldn't wait.

General Hammond had called him into his office and asked him if he knew where Jack and Sam were this morning, but he'd not seen them either. Now here he was, sent round by the General to find out why neither of them had turned up for work, and there was Jack lying on the bed, fully clothed, flushed and grumpy to say the least. There was no sign of Sam, and, if he didn't know any better, he'd say Jack had been drinking last night too.

"Colonel, get your butt off that bed and into the shower. I'm gonna put some coffee on and you'd better be in that bathroom by the time I come back in here!" Daniel yelled, thinking it might work if he were to bully Jack a little; after all, he was used to taking orders.

Jack grumbled and slid his feet over the side of the bed to sit up. He scrubbed his hands over his face a few times, pushing them up through his hair and over the top to massage his neck, completely ignoring Daniel.

"Jack!" Daniel returned to his normal voice and reached out a hand to lay it on Jack's arm nearest to him.

Jack jerked a little and peered at the fuzzy shape beside him.

"Daniel? That you?"

"Yes Jack," Daniel sighed with exaggerated patience.

"What are you doin' here? Shouldn't you be working?"

"I should, yes, but General Hammond sen..." Daniel's words failed as Jack stood, gained his balance and headed for the bathroom.

"Em...good. You go have that shower Jack and I'll put the coffee..."

"Gotta pee, Daniel. Then I'm going back to bed!" Jack snapped as he shut the bathroom door before Daniel could argue.

A few minutes later Jack re-emerged and climbed back onto the bed, burying his face into Sam's pillow once more.

"Jack?"

"You still here? Take my advice, Daniel go, get outta my house before I toss you out on your ass!"

"What?" Daniel was dumbfounded. What the hell was wrong with the man?

"I can't do that Jack. General Hammond specifically asked me to find out why you didn't come into work this morning. And where's Sam?"

"Good question! Now go 'way! I'm tired!" Jack closed his eyes wishing Daniel would just drop it and leave him alone.

"You really want me to tell General Hammond you kicked me out? He'll just send a posse of SFs around with Teal'c, you know he would," Daniel countered.

Jack groaned and grunted in frustration, but sat up again, glaring at his friend.

"Okay! I'll get ready and go in and see him, but I'm so not stayin'! Comprende?"

"Uh...yeah Jack, I understand okay, but what did you mean when you said you didn't know where Sam was? Isn't she here?"

Jack glared at Daniel for what seemed like an eternity until he had to look away. His shoulders drooped in defeat and he rubbed a hand over his eyes in a gesture that made Daniel realise that Jack suddenly looked old and more than a little weary.

"She's gone."

"Gone? Gone where?" Daniel's eyebrows shot upwards but he was pretty certain that he'd misheard that last statement.

"Just gone. Sometime in the night, I suppose, she let herself in and packed up all her things and... Oh god!" He slumped back onto the bed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Daniel stood open mouthed in shock until his own legs gave way and he sat down abruptly onto the bed next to Jack. Now he understood Jack's odd behaviour. He could now see that his friend was devastated by this.

"Why? I just don't get it Jack? Why would she just up and leave you?" Daniel just couldn't seem to grasp the facts at all. She'd seemed so happy; so why would she do such a thing? "What did you do to her?" he accused, suddenly thinking of Jack's notorious temper.

"What? What did I do to her?" Jack gasped in utter astonishment, which then turned into anger and he shot upwards to come face to face with Daniel.. "I didn't do anything Daniel," he grated out between gritted teeth, then his voice dropped in defeat. "I... Everything was fine when I left the mountain yesterday afternoon. You tell me what happened in between then and the early hours of this morning? Because I sure as hell don't have a damn clue what's gotten into her!"

"You didn't argue?" Daniel persisted with a cringe, waiting for Jack to knock him into the middle of next week.

"No!" Jack cried defensively. "We didn't argue; we didn't even fight, for cryin' out loud! I just don't know!" He dropped his head into his hands in despair; he just couldn't figure out what had gone so wrong.

"I'll give Hammond a call; tell him we're not going in today..." Daniel began, but as usual Jack cut him off.

"No Daniel. You're going in to help Teal'c with those kids. I'm okay. I...I need to make some arrangements; make a few phone calls. I'll be fine." Jack knew he couldn't carry on like this, even if it felt like the end of the world. He had things to do that couldn't be put off. "Thanks Daniel; but I need to be on my own for a while."

"Are you sure? I could stay if you want; I won't get in your way."

"No Daniel," Jack sighed, reaching out and patting Daniel's shoulder. "I'll be okay. Give my apologies to General Hammond and tell him I'll be in touch later. C'mon I'll see you out."

Daniel knew full well that Jack was hurting and it pained him to see his friend so upset. He also knew that Jack wouldn't want anyone around to see him lose it, because that was not Jack's way. He would grieve in his own way and after giving him a little space, Daniel knew he would be there to help Jack bounce back. Hoping of course that Jack would be able to put this behind him; if not... then it didn't bear thinking about. He'd met a suicidal Jack before and had no wish for his friend to return to that dark place again.

Jack didn't smile when he said goodbye to Daniel; instead his head hung down with the weight of loss. He closed the door even before Daniel's car had backed onto the road and leaned back against it, resting his head against the coolness of the dark wood.

Gathering his thoughts together, he ignored the noises his stomach was making and stepped down into the sitting room. Flopping down onto the sofa he picked up the phone and started dialling. Sam was everything to him and he was more than a little concerned about her state of mind, but right now he had something more pressing to attend to and it couldn't wait.

_This old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack with my wife,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone... _

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

_Thanks to those of you who sent in a review as always. I hope you enjoy this chapter too. Not much longer to go now before I reveal all._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Gathering his thoughts together, he ignored the noises his stomach was making and stepped down into the sitting room. Flopping down onto the sofa he picked up the phone and started dialling. Sam was everything to him and he was concerned for her state of mind, but right now he had something more pressing to attend to and it couldn't wait.

Chapter 22

_This Old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack with my wife,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone..._

Sam woke to find herself in a strange room and with a throbbing head. She went to move but found she was so stiff and sore and the motion made her nauseous. Sure it would be better if she just lay there for a moment or two, she tried to think about how and why she was here. It went without saying that the door would be locked, just as surely as there were bars on the windows.

Her eyes felt heavy and puffy, and she lifted an unexpectedly heavy hand up to rub at them; and that's when she remembered she'd been crying her eyes out over what appeared to be Jack's duplicity. It wasn't until she'd been driving down the mountain that common sense had set in and she'd started questioning the facts as they stood before her. She trusted Jack implicitly and there had never been any signs of him being with anyone except herself.

As she lay there, happy with those reassuring thoughts, she allowed her mind to wander through their last day together. She recalled him coming into the lab yesterday – supposing that it was only just the next day that is – in the late afternoon and he'd been...himself. He'd wanted her to go home with him and now she'd wished she had done so, because it would have saved a whole lot of heartache. If...and it was a big 'IF'...she had been at home then would this mysterious woman have come calling or would she have known to stay away? Sam had no answer to that, but still she couldn't accept that Jack would cheat on her. He just wasn't like that... or was he?

They say that 'Love is blind'... Had she been blinded by his handsome looks, his bravery, courage, leadership, bad jokes and his boyish personality? Granted he was fun to be with and she was sure he had genuinely cared for her, but... What if it was all just for show?

'No! Nononono!' she argued. Scrap that. He did love her, she was sure of that. So, who was this mysterious woman? What was she doing in Jack's arms? The images of those photographs invaded her mind and a sob caught in her throat before she could stop it. Shaking those negative thoughts from her mind, she now turned to look at the room in more detail.

It was small, spartan, and a little grubby as well as being airless. Her eyes sought out the only source of light to be found in the form of a tiny window high up on one wall. Focussing hard through the pain in her head combined with sore eyes, she could plainly see the vertical bars through the filthy panes.

She sat up rather quickly and instantly regretted it, folding over in agony because her head felt like it was going to explode. She slumped back down again, closing her eyes against the pain, releasing a soft groan. It was several minutes before the stabbing pain had receded and she took fresh stock of her condition.

She was still wearing her clothes from the night when she'd finally left the mountain...

She still had her shoes on...

Her pockets were empty...

She was cold, but not frozen...

No coat or outer garments...

It was all coming back to her now.

She'd locked up the lab and handed the keys in to the security guards. Making up her mind to ask Jack if he'd had anyone call round while she was out, knowing, that if he'd denied it, she'd know he'd lied to her. Then she would ask him outright about the mystery woman. And finally what the hell was he doing with his arms round her and kissing her!

She driven the rest of the way down the mountain very carefully, but was still feeing more than a little anxious; worried what it might spell for them if he had blatantly lied. She remembered fresh tears pricking behind her eyes and then the next minute she was fighting to stay in control of the car because some idiot had abandoned their car in the middle of the road and she was suddenly skidding on the icy surface. She recalled the tree coming at her faster than lightning; then the full force of the impact and hitting her head and then nothing until she woke up here.

Shouldn't she therefore be in a hospital? Or at least the SGC infirmary or the Academy hospital. She'd had her Air Force ID and her dog tags with her so they should have known to contact someone from the USAF about the accident.

This room was a far cry from a sterile ward in any hospital. In fact she'd seen more sterile conditions in the make shift field hospital during operation Desert Storm.

So, where the hell was she? And was Jack actually out there looking for her?

A sudden thought seized her mind, robbing her of her breath and making her stomach churn over. She cried out, pushing herself upwards unsure which hurt the more. The renewed pain in her head? The rolling nausea? Or the thought that Jack might have actually arranged the accident and her disappearance?

Fighting a losing battle, she gagged and just managed to stagger into the corner where a bucket stood, obviously put there for her convenience, before losing what little she had in her stomach, recalling that she'd not eaten since lunch time yesterday, or whenever that was.

She didn't want to think like that. Couldn't! Wouldn't! Jack would never hurt her; he'd promised to take care of her. He loved her!

She collapsed against the wall and slid down it and breaking into fresh sobs. Her mind was fighting so hard to stop the ugly demon inside her aching head, which insisted on torturing her with images of a Black Ops Jack! A Jack who'd said he'd had to do some damn distasteful things for his country, and all in the line of duty. Was she his next victim? Had the government decided to get rid of her, because they now thought of her as a threat to national security?

"NO!" she screamed in denial, and shut her mind down to such things. Her heart broke under the tension and strain making her consciousness flee, leaving her to lie insensate on the floor of her prison.

OoOoOoOoO

General Hammond looked up from his laptop, pulled the lid lower and gave a small grim smile up at Colonel O'Neill who had knocked and was standing by the door waiting for permission to enter.

"Come in Jack. Take a seat. What can I do for you?"

Jack stepped into the room and Hammond couldn't help but notice the obvious difference in his 2IC since the last time he had seen the man. Jack now looked old and haggard; care worn and as depressed and as near to breaking point as ever he'd seen him. At least the man currently sitting in front of his desk with shoulders slumped, hands laced together tightly showing white knuckles revealing the strain he was under almost looked like a stranger.

Jack leaned forward, resting his forearms onto his thighs and clasped his hands together.

"I need to take a few days off sir," he asked wearily. "I...I have to go to Minnesota for a couple of days."

"Minnesota? Your cabin? At this time of the year? I'm not so sure that's a good idea right now son," the General sighed. Jack was taking Major Carter's absence hard; and who could blame him? They'd not heard a thing from her in over 24 hours now. What worried the portly General more than anything though, was that Jack hadn't bothered even looking for his wife. He'd expected him to be bouncing off the walls and yelling up a storm by now.

"No sir, I'm staying in the city this time. I... I have something... Some legal stuff I need to sort out. Personal stuff sir that can't wait."

General Hammond wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, and waited for him to elaborate, but Jack wasn't forthcoming with any more information.

"What about Major Carter? Shouldn't you be concentrating on finding out where she's gone?"

"What's there to do General? She's gone. Everything's been cleared out of our...my...ah crap...our house. End of story!" Jack snapped back and then rolled his head back to look up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. Hammond waited patiently knowing Jack as he did, there was no way that Jack was thinking straight and it was this that gave him hope.

"All I'm saying Jack, is that this isn't like Major...Sam. She wouldn't do this, I'm certain that there's more to this than what it appears at first glance."

"I'm sorry sir. That was uncalled for. I... to tell you the truth sir, I don't know what to think anymore. But...I really do have to go. I can't put this off." He paused, fighting for control over his jumbled thoughts. "I don't have a choice General. It's important to me. And as much as I want to find out where Sam is... she'll just have to wait until I come back."

"I wish you weren't going on your own Jack. Why don't you take Dr. Jackson with you?" Jack shook his head, making Hammond sigh. "Look, I can't force you into taking him, but you look as if you could do with some good company and I know you two are as close as brothers."

"No sir. I..." he paused for a moment and swallowed. "It's something I need to do by myself sir. As I said, it's personal."

"You're sure? I'm certain he would be able to find something to amuse himself with while you went about your business..."

"NO!" Jack snapped. He closed his eyes and sucked in a huge breath, pulling a hand down over his face. "Sorry sir. I didn't... I mean... That was out of line General and for that I'm sorry, but no, I don't need a babysitter."

"Jack have you looked in the mirror lately? Look at you, you're a walking advertisement for depression son..."

"I'm not suicidal General," Jack responded softly, then added with a firmer voice. "I just need to deal with this in my own way George."

It was Jack's use of his given name that swayed the General against his better judgement. Jack rarely if ever used it at work or with that pleading tone and he was lost, ready to grant the man anything he'd wanted.

"Very well Jack. Take as much time as you need."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir."

"I know this is hard for you son, but I can reassure you that we're doing our best to ascertain Sam's whereabouts. You know I've got no choice but to report her for being absent without leave?" Hammond sighed regretfully. He'd give them as much leeway as possible but he had the President and the Joint Chiefs on his back.

"General please. Give her a bit longer," Jack was sitting up straighter now, almost but not quite out of his seat in protest. "I wouldn't want this to go onto her records sir. Who knows," he sighed with a shrug and a grim twist of his lips. "perhaps with me out of the way for a few days, she might find it easier to return to work." He tried to smile at his attempt to crack a joke but it fell flat, sounding feeble even to his own ears.

"I'm truly sorry things turned out this way son," Hammond commiserated.

"I know you are sir. Thank you…for everything."

"You will take your cell phone should we need to contact you Colonel?" Hammond used his rank now with the intention of almost making it an order. He desperately hoped that the only reason he would have to call Jack would be to give him some good news not bad.

"Yes sir. Never leave home without it," Jack reassured him with a nod.

"Then you're dismissed Colonel, and God speed."

"Thank you sir."

Jack stood, forcing himself to stand to attention and salute his CO. The older man saluted in return and watched Jack stuff his hands into his pockets as he left the room. General Hammond couldn't help but feel concerned for him. Jack was a good man and surely he didn't deserve this. He shook his head in disbelief, sympathising with him for his loss, and all the while, wondering if he would return in a few days time only to hand in his retirement papers for real. 'The Powers That Be' were dragging their heels over the decision concerning both officers' future with the SGC.

He waited until Jack was long gone before he picked up the phone.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack drove straight home without ever seeing Daniel or Teal'c before he left the mountain. He felt guilty over that; feeling it made him appear like a coward, but he really didn't feel up to being badgered, as he knew they would. Daniel, he was certain, would insist on accompanying him, which he didn't want. This way at least guaranteed his plans of being alone.

It only took him a short while to pack a bag and toss it into the bed of the truck. A few moments later and he was hitting the road. The less time he spent inside that house at this point in time, the better. It held too many memories for his own peace of mind or comfort. He respected General Hammond more than any other senior officer that he'd served under, but he didn't want to hang around on the off chance that the General would decide to inform his team or Mayhew's that he was in dire need of company or an escort. Right now the only company he craved was outside of his reach.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack was tired; worn out from the long journey. He'd managed to catch a couple of hours now and then, but never for too long. Now he'd reached his destination though, the weariness had crept up on him suddenly making him struggle to stay awake. What with the broken short sleep from that disaterous night before and now the long overnight and next day journey, he was just about ready to crash.

He rapped on the door impatiently. He was dog tired, hungry and definitely in need of a shower and a shave. After several more knocks, the door opened and then she was there, welcoming him into the house. Jack didn't hesitate and stepped across the threshold. As before, she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest. He responded in kind, leaning heavily on her smaller shoulders, but this time with fatigue.

She held his arm and led him into the sitting room, helping him into the chair beside the roaring fire after divesting him of his out-door clothes. He lay back and nestled down into the comfy chair and sighed with relief, feeling himself able to relax at last. Moments later, she returned with a steaming cup of coffee and a slice of home made apple pie. He forced himself to sip at the strong brew and eat the pie before giving in to his weary body's urgent need, falling asleep right where he was.

Smiling enigmatically down on him, she stooped to slip off his boots and then covered him with a hand worked colourful crocheted blanket, then tip-toed over to pick up the phone and pressing a speed dial number.

"It's me," she whispered, not wanting to wake Jack, though she doubted he would wake for some time, having slipped something into his drink.

"_He's there?"_

"Yes!"

"_Good. Make sure he stays out of the way for at least two days."_

"I will."

"_I love you!"_

"Love you too. I miss you so much. See you soon. Bye."

The phone was replaced quietly and she was pleased to see that Jack hadn't stirred at all during her conversation.

_This Old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack with my wife,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

_Hi there, Thanks as always for your comments. A lot of you seem to be confused about what's going on, but please be patient and everything will be explained as the story draws to a close._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

The phone was replaced quietly and she was pleased to see that Jack hadn't stirred at all during her conversation.

Chapter 23

_This old man, he played five,_

_He played nick-nack with my wife,_

_With a nick-nack paddy whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

Sam was totally oblivious to the two men who had entered the room, moments after she'd collapsed. They pulled her lax body towards the bed and dumped her onto it rather roughly, ignoring the fact that she'd received a previous head injury.

The door opened again and a third male stepped into the room, making the other two stand back, though not too far in case Sam should rouse.

He nodded to the taller of the two and the man pushed up Sam's sleeve, pulling her arm out straight.

A needle pierced the skin in the crease of her elbow and her sleeve was pulled back into place.

No words were spoken between the men and the only sign of command was with another nod, before the third man left the room.

Now drugged and out for the count, Sam was carried between the original two guys and dumped unceremoniously into the back of a black van. Her guards then jumped into the cab and they drove off to an unknown destination.

OoOoOoOoO

"Hey, you okay?"

Jack glanced round the room still trying to gain his focus. He'd known he was tired but he didn't realise just how much. It was dark outside and the lighting in the room was soft, barely giving enough light to see across to the other side. He blinked several times, then ran his hands over his face and up through his hair, giving a huge yawn and a shudder.

"Uh...yeah. How long was I out of it?"

Looking at the clock, she smiled across at him.

"About 12 hours by my reckoning. I've got some dinner in the oven. I know you must be really hungry by now."

As if in answer, Jack's stomach rumbled loudly. He shrugged with one of his lop-sided half grins.

"Ya think?" he responded, giving another yawn and a languorous stretch, allowing the blanket that had covered him to slide off. Grabbing it with one hand he yanked it off all the way and stood up quickly, heading for the door.

"Jack?"

"Bathroom!" he yelled from down the hall. It had been a long day's night and he was desperately in need of a pee.

She laughed and made her way into the kitchen, setting about getting their meal.

A few minutes later he was drawn towards the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.

"Smells good," he said casually, taking a seat at the old pine table.

"Wasn't sure if you still liked Irish stew or not, but I guessed after digesting all those awful meals they insist you military people eat, it would probably be okay."

"I've forgotten what real food tasted like. My wife..." he trailed off, feeling the pain of recent loss further twist the knife still piercing his heart. What did it matter any more? Sam was gone, just like Sara. "I... I miss real home-made cooking," he added with fake bravado.

If she'd noticed his hesitation she'd kept it to herself, instead, she served a huge helping of stew onto his plate and a smaller serving for herself.

The meal was quiet, neither of them wanting to intrude on the others thoughts. The air around them, tense, but expected.

Once the food was gone, she silently handed him another slice of apple pie and poured out a cup of coffee for both of them. Slipping back into her seat she watched him finish his food. Now, was the time for words.

"What happened?" Her question made his head shoot upwards in surprise, locking their dark eyes together.

"You tell me! Isn't that why I'm here?" He was deliberately being obtuse. He knew it. She knew it. It was an old habit of his.

"You're alone Jack. Where's Samantha? I would have thought that even you would have allowed her to accompany you for this."

Jack drew in a deep breath, unwilling to tell her the truth, he shrugged.

"She's working. Couldn't get the time off." He wasn't telling her squat!

"Liar!" she retorted. "You forget yourself. I know you Jack O'Neill so don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. It won't work on me. Never has!"

Jack blew out a protracted breath and shook his head, knowing she was right and that she wouldn't let it drop until he'd spilled the beans.

"Okay... If you must know, she's gone."

"Gone?"

"As in gone, gone," he sighed. Now he buried his head into his hands, elbows resting on the worn table, though he didn't give in to the urge to open his heart to her. Especially not to her.

"So, you've done it again!" she sneered. "Two out of two doesn't add up to much in your life does it Jack?"

He shot to his feet. Anger coursing through his veins to set his face into rock.

"I didn't come here to listen to your condemnation. I came here..." he paused, swallowed and then calmed his voice. "I'm only here for Mom. I just want this over and done with, then I'm outta here and you can go to hell!"

Miriam sighed and gave a nonchalant shrug, before standing up to clear away the dishes into the sink.

"And that's just fine with me," she snorted with derision. "Maybe now, with Mom out of the way, I can get a life of my own."

Jack squeezed his fists into balls and breathed deeply, counting to fifty, hanging onto his temper by a fragile thread. He was so not going to strangle his hard-nosed bitch of a sister, even though he wanted to kill her for that alone. He couldn't; not just now at any rate.

If he'd had a stable job, then there was no way he would have condemned his Mom to a life ruled by her spiteful and vindictive daughter; but being in the military had precluded him from looking after her. He wasn't saying she would have been better off, but he'd had no choice in the matter.

It was Miriam that had come crying to him the other day, and he was ready to believe that she had mellowed over the years. How could he have been so wrong? Normally he would see right through her wiles, but her news that day had sent his mind reeling, and then on top of that, Sam leaving him, had really messed with his heart and his mind. He glowered at her back, hoping she could feel the daggers he was shooting at her with his hard eyes.

Without another word he turned and headed up the stairs to his former bedroom and shut the door behind him softly, knowing she would expect him to slam it, but he wasn't going to give her that satisfaction. Tomorrow afternoon would be his Mother's funeral and he needed time to think over what all of this meant to him.

Feeling better, after that long ago promised shower, he slipped into bed, eventually dropping off to yet another troubled night of sleep.

OoOoOoOoO

One of the occupants of the converted dark Dodge Discovery High Top grew tired. The conversation had dried up as they'd watched the house. A light had gone on in one of the bedrooms and they could see a shadow behind them moving about the room for a short while before the light snapped off again. The younger man yawned and scrubbed a hand across his face, pushing up his glasses to rub his eyes.

"I'm gonna take a nap. You gonna be okay keeping watch for a while?"

"I will indeed Daniel Jackson. Sweet dreams!"

Daniel laughed and patted Teal'c on the shoulder as he climbed into the back and lay down on the bed.

"You know, you've been hanging around Jack for too long Teal'c – you're beginning to sound like him. I'm not so sure that's a pleasant thought though," snorted Daniel as he stretched out and removed his glasses, yawning loudly again.

"Would O'Neill not consider this as a compliment, my friend?"

"Knowing him, that's more than likely Teal'c." Daniel yawned again. It had been a long, long journey, despite sharing the driving. "Night Teal'c. Wake me up if anything happens before it's my shift."

"Indeed. You need have no concern Daniel Jackson. I will 'keep my eyes peeled'."

Daniel snorted again then closed his eyes, going over the conversation he'd had with Teal'c and General Hammond the day before, even as he drifted off.

Teal'c sat quietly, his eyes never leaving the rambling old house across the street a few doors down. The downstairs lights went out and a moment later another light appeared in an upstairs window. The shadow behind the curtains this time revealed a woman's figure, and he assumed this was O'Neill's sister, as they had been informed, that lived there.

Teal'c's mind went over the events of late after General Hammond had called them to a meeting some time after O'Neill had left the SGC. Sergeant Siler was present in the office too, giving The General a report.

"_...Yes sir, I placed the device there myself sir. It should be easy to follow the Colonel's truck using the latest satellite navigation systems." Siler informed the General._

"_Good. I want you to put the necessary equipment into the Dodge ready for Teal'c and Dr. Jackson to use."_

"_Yes sir. Though, I will have to go through it with them before they leave sir. It can be a little temperamental if it's not set right."_

"_Of course Sergeant. Go to it."_

"_Sir!" Siler saluted the General and retreated._

_Later Siler had shown them how to use the equipment to follow the tracking device that had been planted underneath O'Neill's truck allowing them to follow at a very, very discreet distance so as not to appear suspicious or to be seen in O'Neill's rear view mirror. It had worked and O'Neill had been oblivious to their presence._

_General Hammond had filled them in on his reasons for the subterfuge. It wasn't that he didn't trust Colonel O'Neill; he simply wanted someone close enough to avoid any problems should this unknown assassin discover he was without an escort..._

Teal'c relaxed but remained alert as only a Jaffa could. Tomorrow things may change either for the better or for the worst, he could not foretell which way it would go. For now though, he would guard his warrior brother and protect him with his life should it come to that.

However, perhaps tomorrow may also reveal the true reason for O'Neill's presence here in the house of his childhood, something they were all curious about, especially as it took precedence over what, in all sincerity, should have been his chief concern; Major Carter, his wife.

_This old man, he played six..._

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

_Now that my other fic is finished I can get on and finish this one too. Sorry to keep you good folks waiting for this._

_Thanks for all the great reviews as always. Couldn't do this without all the encouragement from you. Thanks for your support. And thank you to all of you who sent in a review for Past, Present & Future - so happy to know you all enjoyed it so much._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

However, perhaps tomorrow may also reveal the true reason for O'Neill's presence here in the house of his childhood, something they were all curious about, especially as it took precedence over what, in all sincerity, should have been his chief concern. Major Carter; his wife.

Chapter 24

_This old man, he played six..._

Jack rolled over, sitting up and sliding his legs over the side of the bed. Hunched over to hold his head in his hands, he wondered, not for the first time in many solitary hours, what the hell had gone wrong in his life.

Pushing his long fingers up through his mussed hair, he tried to blot out the pain that too much thinking had caused, concentrating instead on how he was going to get through this day. After which he had no idea what he was going to do. Should he just retire? Forget the SGC and move up to his cabin so that he could...what? Break apart unseen by anyone else? Been there; Done that! Didn't work. That annoying geek Daniel had saved his butt back then and then wormed his way into his life to become one of his best friends.

Jack smiled at the memory. He had much to thank Daniel for, but he couldn't expect his 'space-monkey' to give an encore to that performance so many years ago now. Times had changed; people, friendships, they all move on. Dammit! He was supposed to be with Sam, for cryin' out loud!

Jack shot to his feet, unwilling to sit around and go over this again and again. The room wasn't dark, even though the sky had yet to lighten in the east; the snow covered ground outside gave its own glow along with the brightness of the moon, so he could see without turning the light on. It looked as if it was going to be one of those clear, frosty and chilly days. The sort of days Jack had always loved, with vivid blue skies and the air giving off a crystal clarity that meant you could see for miles and miles.

Pulling on warm clothes, he slipped from the room quietly, not wanting to wake Miriam – she was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. Wandering down the stairs, he paused to take in the familiar hallway, then smiled fondly. Within two steps he'd reached the old coat stand, and still sitting there where he'd left it all those years ago, was his old hockey stick.

Lifting it from its perch, he gripped it, swinging it carefully in some half-remembered game between his friends and neighbours from across the street. It was well worn now, and the wood had splintered. He'd had a new one at Christmas and was going to throw this old one away, but his Mom told him to leave it there; that way she could use it to hit anyone who dared to enter the house whom she hadn't invited in. He'd thought she was crazy at the time, but it had proved a handy repellent over the later years.

He blew out a melancholy sigh and quietly slipped it back into its resting place, giving it a little pat of thanks for the good times, then carried on to the kitchen on the scrounge for a cup of coffee and something to eat.

Pulling the fridge open he grabbed the open carton of milk, screwing his nose up at the austere choice of food Miriam stored in there. It was even more spartan than his own fridge before Sam moved... He quickly slammed shut that morbid door of thought in his head, determined not to dwell on what had happened; at least for today. He would cross that particularly rickety bridge when the time came.

Disappointed that there wasn't any more of that apple pie, he scratched around looking for something remotely edible. Eventually he managed to find some sort of cereal, and although it wasn't looking particularly appetizing, he'd eaten worse. His rather pathetic breakfast ready, he sat at the table gazing out of the window to see what if much had changed over the years he'd stayed away. If anything obviously had, it was the height of the trees that surrounded the high fences that marked the edge of the property.

As backyards went, it was huge. He noticed with slight regret, that the old apple tree had gone; felled perhaps by a gale or chopped down because of advancing age and rot maybe. He'd grown up with that tree, his Dad having planted it just before he was born. Every year they'd measured their heights against the knobbly trunk until at last he had grown taller and the top most branches had come within his reach.

Then he saw something through the naked trees and his memories had come flooding back; having forgotten its existence before now as it had once been hidden from view by the apple tree. His Dad's old work-room probably hadn't even been opened since his father had died. Idly he wondered what state it was in, and thought maybe he should go check it out later.

After another cup of coffee, he headed off towards the garage to see if he could find any of his things left lying around in there. While he was here, he might as well take any useful items back with him, because he expected the house to be sold off now his Mom was gone, and Miriam had made it abundantly plain that she wanted to move on with her life. He just couldn't picture her doing that here all alone.

OoOoOoOoO

Across the street the occupants of the dark Dodge continued their surveillance. Daniel had slept deeply for an hour or so, but then the worry about Jack and his concern for Sam had him stirring and unable to stay still. Giving up on the idea of sleep, he moved to join Teal'c up front again.

"You are troubled my friend."

Daniel sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, and in particular his eyes. He was dog tired, but unable to sleep while Jack was still under threat. Add this to his already heavy-hearted burden that Sam was still missing - and therein was the problem. His red rimmed eyes felt heavy, watery and stung from lack of sleep, but he had to agree with Teal'c's apt summary of his feelings.

"Yeah! That's putting it mildly Teal'c. I just can't imagine what drove Sam to leave like that." He couldn't get his mind round that at all. There just had to be more to it than what appeared on the surface. Nothing was adding up. Jack's distress was understandable under the circumstances, and hearing about his Mother's death almost the same time as Sam walked out on him would drive even the strongest person to despair. And even though Jack was one of the strongest people he'd ever known...apart from Teal'c that was, it said a lot about how bad Jack must be feeling.

"Indeed, though I believe there is more to your concern than you have yet given voice to Daniel Jackson."

Daniel turned to look at his team-mate. Although it was still dark outside, the moon gave enough light for him to see the Jaffa's expression of curiosity tempered with an almost plea for sharing that disquiet. If Daniel knew he could trust anyone to consider his worries without fear of being humiliated, then it would be Teal'c. He took a deep breath and put forward his theory concerning his friends' welfare.

OoOoOoOoO

On hearing Daniel explain the problem he was having to justify things as they seemed, Teal'c turned over the conversation carefully in his mind before reaching a conclusion.

"I too agree that all is not as it appears and that we must indeed act accordingly if we are to put an end to this travesty."

Just then Daniel spotted a light in the hallway as it came on, his hand automatically reaching out to warn his companion.

"Teal'c!" he hissed.

Teal'c had been deep in contemplation after their chat but now he was alert to Daniel's sudden apprehension.

"Looks like Jack couldn't sleep either." Daniel sighed with resignation; like Jack wasn't the only one that sleep eluded this night.

Teal'c nodded and silently opened the door, slipping out unseen into the night. Daniel watched him hurry across the road and then lost him when he melted into the shadows.

Teal'c crept softly round the side of the house and into the garden where he could see into the brightly lit kitchen but stay hidden from view. It was O'Neill as he suspected, and thankfully everything looked to be like any normal morning Tau'ri ritual despite it's early hour. He watched as his friend sat down to breakfast, steadfastly ignoring his own hunger when he recalled having had nothing to eat for a very long time.

After several minutes, Teal'c saw Jack stand, put his dirty crockery into the sink then head off to somewhere else in the house. He was wondering where his friend might have gone, until he saw the light come on in the garage. So Teal'c moved into a different position which would afford him a better view and then observed Jack hunting through several large boxes.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack forgot about time and the ever-present heartache while he sifted through the stack of boxes in the corner of the garage. The years rolling back with each item he extracted from its hiding place. Occasionally he pulled out an object that stirred happy memories, while others reminded him of the reason for his exile from the house, bringing with it renewed sorrow and regret.

There was nothing worth salvaging from the stock of junk; at least nothing he would want to keep. He wandered round the crowded space, turning over long forgotten tools and rusted bicycle parts among others. There were rocky towers of rusty tins which now housed solidified remains of coloured paint which had adorned their rooms when he and Miriam were children; there was the bright blue that Mom had insisted Dad paint the front door, and the pink that was Miriam's favourite at one time. Nobody had thrown anything out it seemed. He shook his head at the chaos and knew without a doubt that there was nothing here for him except memories.

Turning round, his eyes travelled over the huge canvas covering what had to be Dad's old motor. Reaching out to toss the cover aside, he hesitated for a moment, while his scattered thoughts questioned his certainty. Something was off, but he couldn't quite put a finger to it. Yet.

The canvas cover was fairly new. Miriam had mentioned in passing that nobody had been out here for years, and by the look of everything else, she was right. This though, was far more recent than anything else in the garage. He stepped back to take a wider angled viewpoint, and was so lost in thought, he never heard the door to the mud room open, and never heard the silent footsteps as they grew nearer.

He moved forward with resolve and flung one of the corners up and over the hood of the car it concealed. Stepping back, blinking in utter shock, his head was reeling with the revelations that little piece of crumpled metal revealed. His breath quickened as his heart thumped rapidly as he grabbed the rest of the canvas and yanked it from the vehicle, only to stand there and gape uselessly at it. It took him a while before he could get his brain to function again.

"You shouldn't have seen that Jack, which leaves me with no other choice."

By the time the words had filtered through his shocked mind, he barely had time to move when he spun round to face Miriam. She brought the hockey stick down in a swift arc and it caught the side of his head, almost taking his ear off. It hurt like very devil and made him stagger and fall to his knees under the weight of the blow. He tried yelling at her, but she was oblivious to his calls and his pain, in fact it seemed to drive her on. Swinging the stick constantly and causing him to curl up on the floor with his arms over his head to protect himself.

During a brief lull, he attempted to stand, and when she brought the stick in for another hit, he managed to catch the end of it, but she knew a trick or two, and having far more weight behind her than he thought possible, she shoved him backwards with all her might. The small of his back collided heavily with the solid edge of the bench making him loosen his grip slightly when the pain almost made him black out. Driven over the edge by her need for revenge, she brought the wooden hockey stick down, smacking him over the eyebrow where she knew it would cause more damage. It was his weak spot and she knew it. Blood poured from the resultant cut and she crowed in triumph.

His vision dimmed and flickered, growing darker with every hit. He was completely at her mercy now. He could hear her laughing hysterically as she attacked and he felt both sorrow and bewilderment knowing that she had totally lost it. But that was his final thought before the world turned black. He didn't see how someone had crept in behind them, and had captured Miriam in a tight hold while she screamed and kicked and tried to break free. He wasn't aware that Teal'c had been watching through the window and had called Daniel over the radio to get the police while he then rushed into the garage to try and stop the woman from killing his warrior-brother.

Jack wasn't aware of anything for a while.

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks..._

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

_Well, here it is. As promised, I would post another chapter today._

_Thanks again for all your reviews!_

_Enjoy!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

He wasn't aware of anything for a while.

Chapter 25

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks..._

Miriam, now heavily sedated, was taken away by an ambulance.

The police had arrived earlier to find Teal'c still hanging on to her despite the number of bruising kicks she'd hammered his legs with her feet, or the few marks she'd caused by bringing her head back and trying to break his nose.

Daniel had been occupied with checking Jack over and mopping up the blood rapidly seeping from the numerous cuts he'd sustained from yet another beating. The young man was still trying to put all the puzzling pieces into some semblance of order in his head that would make some semblance of order therefore giving him the right picture. As of now, it had appeared to be more mystifying than ever. There were so many questions ringing through his mind that he wasn't sure if he was still asleep in the back of the truck or wide awake. It all seemed like a bad dream to him, just another one of his occasional nightmares from which he couldn't wake up.

Statements were taken, wounds tended to, and although Teal'c had refused to visit the hospital, his excuses were reluctantly accepted. However, because of the seriousness of the attack and a suspected concussion coupled with fact that he had been drifting in and out of consciousness since, they did insist on taking Jack to the hospital so Daniel went with him. General Hammond had already been informed and was expected to arrive later that morning, bringing Janet Fraiser along with him.

All that was left for them to do was wait for Jack to regain full consciousness and hope that Teal'c had been in time to prevent any real damage from being done.

OoOoOoOoO

"I'm sorry sir; you'll have to wait out here." Daniel was prevented from following the gurney Jack was laying on when they disappeared through the double doors. "If you wouldn't mind stepping over to the nurse's station, we need you to give us all your friend's details. Thank you." Then she too had gone and Daniel felt lost. When he'd come back from Abydos, SG-1 became a way of life, they were his family. Now that family seemed to be falling apart before his very eyes and he was wondering if things would ever be the same again.

He had been over the moon when Sam and Jack finally decided that their lives would infinitely be better as a couple than living a lie as they had done for so long, denying even to themselves the true depth of their feelings for each other. Teal'c had seen it early on and had welcomed their decision. As were the many others in the SGC who had guessed correctly too.

"Ah...Sir?"

Daniel shook himself free from his meanderings and approached the desk.

"We need to fill in the victim's details..."

"Jack is not a victim!" Daniel felt more than a little aggrieved by the use of this term with regard to Jack. Jack was not dead. He was going to be fine. He had to be. He realised too, when he saw the nurse back off, that he'd more or less spat the words out in his frustration and anger. "I'm sorry. It's been a tough..." What? Day? Week? Month? Quite a few of the latter in reality. "Sorry. What is it you need?" he asked apologetically, regretting allowing his exasperation to vent on the poor woman.

"Name, address, next of kin, all of that and more if you can supply it."

"Sure," he responded a little more cooperatively to show that he hadn't meant to snap at her. It wasn't her fault that Jack had been hurt, yet again. "It's Jack. Colonel Jack...er...or rather it should be John, I think. Colonel John O'Neill USAF..."

Daniel filled her in on all the details that he could and wished that Janet would hurry up and get there.

There was quite an attractive Doctor standing next to him and taking in everything he'd said, though he didn't notice her feminine qualities at that time. Once he'd signed his name at the bottom of the form, the nurse handed over the folder to the auburn haired medic, who browsed through the details again.

"So, you were with Jack O'Neill when this happened?" she asked Daniel, having walked him over to the waiting area so they could sit down.

"Um...no. Not exactly. We arrived on the scene just in time to see him lose consciousness and to stop the attack."

"And you are Dr Daniel Jackson?" she asked reading the information on the form.

"Yes, but I'm a doctor of Archaeology and Anthropology, not of medicine."

She glanced over at him as if seeing him for the first time, taking in his younger appearance and his tired looking features.

"Are you a friend of Colonel O'Neill's, or a colleague?"

"Both, actually. We work together, but we are friends too."

"I see from the information you've given, that he has a wife, Samantha O'Neill. Could you tell me if she will be here soon? Have you contacted her at all?"

Daniel was lost for words. How could he explain that nobody knew where Sam had gone or if she would be that concerned if Jack was injured? For all he knew it was this recent catalogue of catastrophes to hit Jack that had possibly driven her away.

"Ah...no. No I haven't called her. She's away you see. Air Force too."

He could see her nod as if she'd known what that had meant. If only she knew!

"Okay. Any questions you'd like to ask me?"

"You're the doctor assigned to Jack?"

"I am. My name is Dr. Patti Armstrong. And I can assure you that I'll do my best to make him as comfortable as possible."

"When can I see him? I really need to be there when he wakes up! It's all to do with national security. Our work is highly classified."

"I see. Well, he's having a series of scans and X-rays at the moment, but as soon as he's returned I'll send someone out here for you."

"Thank you." Daniel watched as she rose from the seat and made her way back through the doors. It wasn't until after she'd gone that he wondered why she had asked all those questions. But, there again, this was Minnesota, so maybe they did things a little differently around here. From what he'd seen of the State so far, it had been under a thick blanket of snow and damn cold. Colder than Colorado, that was for sure. It was at times like this that he missed Abydos.

He wandered over to the coffee machine and helped himself to some coffee. Not that he liked it much but it was something to do with his hands while he waited.

And waited.

People came and went.

He'd finished his coffee and was playing with the plastic cup when he heard a commotion down the corridor. Looking that way, he smiled and stood feeling utterly relieved.

General Hammond, was marching regally along the passageway, his face filled with restrained anger. On his heels was Janet, almost having to run to keep up with the senior officer. Stepping calmly along behind them both came Teal'c, his hands behind his back and his face as unreadable as ever, and bringing up the rear were several security guards from the SGC.

Just then the doors opened and a nurse called Daniel over.

"Dr. Jackson?"

"Yes?" he tore his eyes away from the sight of his colleagues and turned towards the nurse.

"Colonel O'Neill is beginning to wake up."

"Oh! Right." He was torn between waiting for the others and hurrying to Jack's side, finally deciding that he couldn't wait for them to catch up to him as they'd probably be detained at the desk for a while. Turning away from his friends, he slipped through the doors quickly, knowing they would follow as soon as they could. Right now though, Jack was waking up and he needed to be there for him.

The young nurse led him down a maze of corridors until she stopped and opened one of them, indicating that he should enter.

Dr. Armstrong was already in there, making some notes from the readouts on the monitors. It was comforting to know on hearing the regular beeps coming from the machine, that Jack was obviously okay and probably none the worse from his sister's deranged encounter.

The tall doctor turned and greeted him with a smile, beckoning him forward to take a place on the other side of the bed. Moving into position, he winced when he saw the bruising on Jack's face, neck, shoulder and arms.

"Is he going to be okay?"

Dr. Armstrong smiled and nodded, finishing her notes. That done, she looked across the bed at Daniel.

"He'll be fine. A few bruises here and there as well as a severe concussion. I'd like to keep him here over night preferably, but that depends on your military doesn't it?"

"Um...yeah. Actually, they're already outside," Daniel grimaced in an unspoken apology. Don't worry though, Dr. Fraiser will probably agree with you, even though I doubt Jack will." He smirked a little at that, knowing what a terrible patient Jack was, especially when he was well on the road to recovery. As soon as he began to feel better, he wanted out and Janet always had her hands full trying to keep him there until he'd healed enough to be released from her care.

He reckoned this civilian doctor wouldn't stand an earthly chance against Jack's bull-headed full bird Colonel treatment. He'd seen grown men quake when Jack slipped into command mode and tore them off a strip for some misdemeanour or other.

She looked down at her patient and smiled when she saw his eyelids flicker.

"He's waking up Dr. Jackso..."

"Daniel..." he interrupted. "Please, call me Daniel. It'll mean less confusion all round."

She giggled with amusement, instantly liking the young man. Leaning over slightly, she called out to the patient.

"Jack?" Come on Jack. Open those wonderful dark eyes of yours for me!"

Jack blinked a few times but came to a little more with a groan. His face screwed up slightly and Daniel thought it was from pain. He was bound to have one hell of a headache. He had several neat stitches in the cut over his left eye, right through that scarred eyebrow Daniel noted. Then it dawned on him that this doctor must know Jack, which was probably being that this was Jack's adopted home territory. She'd known he had dark eyes, and that she'd referred to them as wonderful, so this could be interesting, he concluded.

"Sam?"

"Jack!" Daniel interrupted, worried that Jack had forgotten that Sam had left him. It almost broke his heart to hear Jack's need so much in evidence.

"Give him time Daniel. He's not really with us yet."

Daniel knew better of course. Once Jack was awake, he **was** awake!

"Daniel?"

"I'm right here Jack."

"What...? How?"

"Uh...Let's just say T...em...Murray and I were keeping an eye on you, as per General Hammond's orders. It was a good job too given the circumstances."

Jack knew he wouldn't have survived without someone stopping Miriam. Her madness had lent her the extra strength needed to take him down. It was his own fault too, he'd let his guard down..."

"Sam!" Jack struggled to sit up now, driven by a desperate need. He screwed his eyes shut tight against the splitting head and the nausea, swallowing hard.

"Jack lay back. It's okay."

"No! It's Sam," he gasped through the pain thrumming nauseatingly inside his skull. He fixed Daniel with a penetrating eye and desperation in his voice.

Both Daniel and Dr. Armstrong forced him to lie back again, but his gaze was locked onto his friend.

"Daniel please!"

"She's not here Jack. We don't know where she is."

"No! She's here Daniel." Jack closed his eyes and recalled the shock of seeing her car under that canvas. The wing was badly mangled, but he'd recognise her car anywhere, and when he'd pulled the cover off he knew for certain. The big question was - Why?

"What?" Daniel was more likely to believe Jack was delirious than to believe that Sam was here.

Jack fought against the pain and was losing the battle to stay focussed.

"Rest Jack," Dr. Armstrong advised. "Talk later."

Jack blinked sleepily and turned towards the voice, wondering why it sounded vaguely familiar to him.

When his sight settled on the attractive red-head, she smiled down at him.

"Hi Jack."

He frowned at first, squinting slightly from the pain. Thinking and concussions didn't sit together well inside his head. Then he recalled the pretty but rather shy girl from his class back in high school.

"P…Patti?" Her smile deepened as he recognised her.

"The very same, Jack O'Neill. I knew you had joined the Air Force, but I hadn't realised you'd make it so far or stay in for so long. Colonel huh?"

He raised a heavy hand and flicked at the stethoscope hanging loosely round her neck.

"Doctor huh?" he replied with a patent grin.

"That's right and you are my patient at this moment so get some rest Jack. Doctor's orders! I've given you a little something for the headache and the nausea."

Jack sighed, nodded his acceptance that he needed something to kill the damn pain, and closed his eyes, making Daniel think that Jack had probably forgotten that he was there... until he spoke.

"Daniel," Jack huffed, giving a little pout but kept his eyes closed.

"Jack?"

"Get Hammond to send someone over to the house and look for clues. Sam's car is in the garage, beaten up a little but I swear it's hers. I want to know why it's there and what happened to her? And I am not imagining it. I saw it Daniel. Something's happened to her and I need to find her," he pleaded, now grasping onto Daniel sleeve in desperation. He couldn't do it, so he had to make sure his friends would. "Promise me you'll go?"

Daniel laid his free hand on top of Jack's hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"I will Jack. I promise. You just rest. General Hammond's outside now with Janet so I expect her to come flying in here any minute. Don't worry, Murray and I will leave her to it and start looking into things." He paused, keeping his hand there for a moment longer. "We'll find her Jack."

"Miriam?" Jack asked tiredly.

"They...um...took her away to a hospital."

Jack nodded, relieved and ready to fall asleep again but then he suddenly recalled what day it was. He fought against the sleep and struggled to rise again, despite both Daniel and Patti preventing him from doing so.

"Jack! Lie back. It's okay We'll go back to the house right away."

"Mom..." he gasped as the throbbing in his head and shoulder made him curl up against it. "Crap!" he ground out breathlessly.

Daniel had completely forgotten about Jack's Mom's funeral.

"Now don't you worry about her Jack," Patti assured him with a smile. "Your Mom's not going anywhere for a while, but she's doing a lot better now. We'll be keeping her in here for a few more days yet so you'll be able to see her yourself tomorrow, depending on how you are."

Jack and Daniel gaped wide eyed and open mouthed at Patti with shocked surprise.

"She's... What?" Jack flopped back limply onto the pillows, the wind completely sucked out of his sails.

"She's here?" Daniel put forward the question Jack couldn't seem to get his head round. She was supposed to be dead. Patti nodded wondering why both of them looked stunned.

"God Dammit! I can't believe that bitch lied to me about that!" Jack fumed, wanting to get his hands on his sister so that he could strangle her. "How could she say such a thing? Why?"

"Excuse me?" Now Patti was mystified, but Jack now looked beetroot red with anger, so she looked to Daniel for an answer. "Who?"

"Miriam," he grimaced, feeling the acute disbelief. If he felt this way, Jack must be feeling absolutely murderous. "Jack came all the way here because she told him his Mom had died and today was the funeral."

Patti gasped and reeled back in shock. She'd known Miriam from when they were all kids at school, but she had no idea the woman was crazy.

"But why would she do that?"

"Beats me." They both looked down at Jack who had fallen silent and Daniel knew how he must be feeling now the initial shock had passed. His Mom was alive and in the same hospital too. Daniel reached out a hand and patted Jack's arm in compassion.

"I'm gonna go talk with the others while you rest Jack. We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."

Jack nodded absently; his mind in such an emotional turmoil he didn't trust his voice to say anything thing at this point. The pain in his head dimmed in comparison with the one wrenching at his heart right now. The pain of bitter betrayal. However, it was tempered by the knowledge that his Mom was still alive and doing well. He closed his eyes, hoping that they would leave him alone so that he could come to grips with his inner turmoil without an audience.

Daniel turned and left, while Patti felt really bad that she had shocked them like that, but also happy to have informed Jack that his Mom was okay, even if she hadn't yet given him all the startling details of her ill health.

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks,_

_With a nick-nack paddy-whack..._

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

_As promised, here's the next chapter for you to enjoy!_

_Thanks for all the lovely reviews you guys sent, much appreciated I can assure you. Don't worry, the end is in sight and the whole plot will finally be explained. _

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

Daniel turned and left, while Patti felt really bad that she had shocked them like that, but also happy to have informed Jack that his Mom was okay, even if she hadn't yet given him all the startling details of her ill health.

Chapter 26

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks,_

_With a nick-nack paddy-whack..._

Daniel sat deep in contemplation as he waited for Jack to join him. Right now Jack, looking far too drawn and haggard from Daniel's point of view, was chatting with Patti Armstrong about moving his mother to a nursing home in Colorado Springs. Miriam's unfortunate intimacy with psychosis meant she was going to have to be institutionalised for some time, so Mrs. O'Neill Senior would need somewhere else to live. Jack knew he couldn't be there for her 24/7, and he was torn, wondering what to do for the best. It was actually Patti who'd approached Jack with the idea of moving her nearer to him where he would be able to visit her more often.

Now that Jack had been in to see his Mom, he had been in consultation with Patti for an hour already. Daniel volunteered to accompany him, knowing Jack was still reeling from the latest events, but he'd assured Daniel, rather tiredly, that he'd be fine. So Daniel had made his way to the waiting area and drunk his way through far too many cups of coffee while he passed the time chewing over the newer mysteries of Sam's disappearance and what role Miriam had played in all of this.

His gaze was rooted to the floor while his brain worked overtime, so he didn't register exactly when a pair of boots appeared in his sight. It was only when he felt the loose grip of fingers on his shoulder that he looked up.

"All done?" he asked getting to his feet.

Jack looked as if he'd aged even further, and only added to Daniel's concern when he merely nodded in response and started walking towards the exit, leaving him to play catch-up.

In silence they headed out of the hospital and into the parking lot where they climbed into the converted Dodge. Daniel drove through the unfamiliar streets with only a passing instruction to turn when necessary, making Daniel wonder if Jack shouldn't have stayed in the hospital another day. He cast a worried glance sideways to his silent companion. Jack was too quiet and far too still for comfort. This wasn't the Jack he knew at all; Jack was exasperatingly buoyant, either by making sarcastic comebacks, or by his ever constant fidgeting. At this moment, he was neither; if anything he looked lost as well as in pain.

"You okay?" Daniel couldn't resist asking.

Jack turned away to look out of the side window seeing nothing, and long seconds passed, by which time Daniel had assumed Jack was ignoring him. However, Jack startled him by replying in a voice bereft of any emotion.

"Not really."

"If you want to talk abou..."

"Which I don't!" Was his quick rejoinder.

Despite the meaning of the words and the manner in which they were spoken, Daniel was actually happy that he'd sparked just a little more feeling from his passenger to show he wasn't quite dead inside as he'd appeared.

"Maybe you should Jack! I mean...you know that we're here for you and that we only want to help get to the bottom of this and find Sam too. But if you don't tell us anything, then I don't see how we can be of any use?"

Beside him Jack released a heavy sigh while studying his lax hands as they lay splayed over his denim clad knees.

"I don't know where to begin Daniel. This is just one huge mystery which is..." he broke off in frustration, slapping his hand down on his leg. "Damn! I feel like I'm a dog running round in circles chasing my tail and getting absolutely nowhere!"

After another long silence in which Daniel kept his opinions to himself hoping that Jack would really open up, Jack brought his hands up and rubbed his face, wincing when he accidentally caught the healing wound.

"I blew it." he sighed, after dropping his hands down again.

Daniel shot a quick glance at Jack, only to see him blink several times and then turn away to stare blindly out of the side window, and his hand come up again to press the heels of his hands into his eyes. Daniel fixed his eyes on the road and waited for Jack to compose himself and elaborate on his comment, if ever.

"I should have known! I should have trusted my instincts and questioned everything, but I didn't. I just accepted things for what they were... and now..." he paused to swallow, holding back the flood of emotions that were trying to break free, but his voice was tortured and raspy with the effort of talking. "...now I've lost Sam. I...I should have questioned it, I should have trusted her knowing that she'd never pull a stunt like that. And now what? Where could she be Daniel? What the hell did Miriam do to her?"

Daniel swallowed harshly too, feeling his own emotions welling on hearing the bitter pain of guilt and remorse in his friend's voice amid the justifiable anger and the hopeless despair that now dwelled there. He'd never heard Jack talk like this and knew this was hitting him almost as badly as did Charlie's untimely and tragic death. He could only hope that Teal'c, Walter and General Hammond had found something useful from among the enormous pile of papers crammed inside the desk in Miriam's study.

Daniel reached out his hand and gave Jack's forearm a little squeeze.

"We will find her Jack!" he assured his friend, keeping to himself his uncertainties about her survival. Jack didn't need his negativity to add to his already burdened soul.

They drove on in a subdued mood, barely aware of the streets passing by or the traffic growing less busy as they neared Jack's old home.

OoOoOoOoO

The door was opened just as they pulled up on the drive, and Daniel spotted General Hammond standing on the threshold waiting for them.

Jack walked up the path rather stiffly, his bruising obviously still quite painful, though he would deny it if asked if it was bothering him. He nodded to the General as he took the few steps up towards the main door, only to be quietly led into the sitting room by a concerned General.

Jack hadn't so much as balked at the idea of being led as if he were a child, and had taken a seat meekly when ordered to do so. Daniel met up with Teal'c and was also ushered into the room along with Walter who had several papers in his hands. When they were all seated General Hammond began to explain things as they stood at this point in time, watching Jack for any kind of reaction to his news.

"...as I held her tight until I could be relieved by the Police Officers, she was screaming about retribution, O'Neill." Teal'c then elaborated. "She talked much about wanting to exact revenge on you and had waited for years in which to do so. She also disapproved rather vehemently on the fact that at each attempt on your life, you had somehow survived, and that this was to be her final crowning glory."

Jack had finally taken an interest in the proceedings, and was frustrated when the senior officer had waived away his questions until they'd finished telling of the things they had discovered. Walter passed the papers over to Jack who glanced down at them in disbelief.

"So, let me get this straight... Miriam was the one behind all those attempts on my life?" Jack was stunned beyond belief. "How? I mean, there's no way she has knowledge of weaponry, planting bombs in cars, poisons; let alone know anyone who does?" he paused trying to think straight. "There has to be someone else in this too. She has to have had help. But who?"

"How did she get Sam's car here too? I mean by the state of it, it must have been involved in an accident..." Daniel was fully aware of the consequences of what that meant and had unconsciously continued Jack's own line of questions, but was interrupted when Jack suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room.

They found him a few minutes later, rummaging through some drawers in what was his Mother's room.

"Jack? What're you looking for?" Daniel asked as he drew nearer to the frantic search his friend was carrying out.

"I gave them to Mom years ago for safe keeping. They should be here," he muttered mostly to himself but loud enough for the others to hear too.

Jack ripped the drawer right out of the chest and tipped the contents onto the bed, scrabbling around among the scattered items. When that yielded nothing, he did the same with the next drawer, and the next, until all the drawers were empty and nothing had been overlooked... or found.

Jack had been talking away to himself softly, letting loose the occasional curse, while the others had stood by in silence watching him and waiting for the explanation of his actions. Now he stood back, stretching his back muscles from stooping over the bed, and swore, locking eyes with the General.

"I think I know where Sam is!"

"What?" Daniel gaped in astonishment.

"Where?" General Hammond's inquiry was more a demand to know what Jack was talking about.

"Keys!" Jack said as if they knew darn well what he was thinking.

"To Sam's car?" Daniel was feeling slightly adrift of his friend's lateral thinking.

Jack fixed him with one of his patent 'what? Are you nuts?' glare before he added the words that would finally make sense to his audience.

"To the cabin," he stated, waiting for the penny to drop. "They're missing! Miriam knew where they were."

"Perhaps your sister removed them to a safer place O'Neill."

"Did you guys come across any keys with a big wooden tag about so big..." he held up his hands to show them the approximate size. "...which read 'Jack's Cabin' when you went through the house?" Jack asked, doubting they would have."

They all looked at each other and shook their heads. To which Jack took off immediately, grabbing his coat and his own keys to the truck. Until General Hammond stopped him with a sharp order.

"Stand down Colonel!"

Jack stopped and counted to ten before turning about face to meet his CO. His frustration evident in his eyes.

"General, I need to get to the cabin. She's there I just know it!"

"I know that Jack, and I can understand your urgency to locate Major Carter and assure yourself of her well-being, but have you considered it may well be a trap? Especially if you believe that your sister wasn't working alone in this. They could have planned on you heading there once you figured it out." He didn't add that he was concerned at what he might find up at that cabin miles from anywhere.

Jack blinked but held his gaze steady, locking his dark eyes onto the older man with resignation. His voice when he replied was soft, barely above a whisper but filled with a deep concern, open honesty and a last desperate hope.

"I know. But I have to go sir."

"Even if it could possibly result in your own death?" Hammond responded with equal sincerity. He was acutely aware of what state of mind Jack would be in if he was too late to save the Major. He'd read those reports and could see for himself the truth in them as Jack stood before him.

"Yes sir. If that's what it takes." Jack paused to utter a deep heart-rending sigh. He glanced down at his toes for a moment before bringing his glassy eyes back to the General's face. "I'll not leave her there with a madman, George. I'd never be able to live with myself if anything happened to her. God knows I let her down, but I'm damned if I'll ever do it again!"

George Hammond hadn't ignored the fact that Jack had changed the rules by using his first name, but it did reveal that the younger officer was asking him as a friend and not as his CO, to allow him to go after his wife and not just because she was a member of the USAF and it was job.

Hammond indicated that Jack should wait there for a few seconds while he disappeared into the back. When he returned, in his hands he held a hand gun, and a back-pack, and offered them both to Jack.

The Colonel gave a quick nod of thanks and understanding, taking the pack and then reached for the weapon and was stunned when the General laid his free hand firmly on top of his, stopping him from taking the 9mm out of his hand. Jack's head shot up in astonishment, but relaxed when the General gave him a small grim smile and a slight nod.

"God speed son! Bring her home!"

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks,_

_With a nick-nack paddy-whack,_

_Give the dog a bone..._

TBC

_I'd like to use this space to thank you to all of you who sent in reviews for the final chapter of Past, Present & Future; my fic with a little Jack O'Neill. _

_I'm not sure if it was just my server or that ff was having one of those glitches again, but I couldn't see the final chapter listed on the update pages on the site, so anyone having the same problem should look at my profile page where you'll find the completed story._


	27. Chapter 27

_Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you to read and hopefully enjoy!_

_Thank you to everyone who sent in a review. As always they are much appreciated._

_Soooo close to the end now..._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

"God speed son! Bring her home!"

Chapter 27

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks,_

_With a nick-nack paddy-whack,_

_Give the dog a bone..._

General Hammond stood on the porch and watched as Jack drove away. He spared a few minutes to utter a silent prayer for God to keep the younger officer, and his wife, safe, and then turned to call the others to attention.

"Um... Do you think that was wise General? Sending Jack up there knowing what we do?" Daniel couldn't believe that General Hammond would allow Jack to risk his life like that.

General Hammond, smiled kindly and lifted his hand to place it onto Daniel's shoulder, turning him so that they could walk back into the house together and into the warm.

"Do you really believe I would be able to stop him Dr. Jackson?"

"I suppose not," Daniel sighed with resignation. With Jack feeling that way, there was nothing on earth that would stop him from going after Sam. "But, what about back-up?"

Hammond pulled himself up to his full height, the commander in him taking over once more.

"That's where you come in Doctor." Hammond waited for the sombre looking Jaffa to join them before he carried on. "Teal'c, Dr. Jackson... I want you to follow Colonel O'Neill, and from a safe distance. Whatever you do, you cannot allow yourselves to be caught by him. If there's one thing about the Colonel I do know, it's that he will not be best pleased to know that we've put a tail on him. He's too damn good at this job, and would know you were there long before you were anywhere near him. I know he likes to do this type of thing on his own, but for my own peace of mind I'd still prefer it if you're there in case he needs some back up, as I suspect he may well do, now that we know who and what to look out for. You have a go in ten minutes gentlemen, that should be a long enough gap to make it look less obvious, and you do still have the tracking device you used to follow him up here, so that will help you keep tabs on where he is at any time. Any questions?"

"Ah...yes General," Daniel held his index finger up in support of his request. "Isn't that where you sent the security team, that was supposed to be watching Jack's six, when you thought that Jack was heading to his cabin originally, before of all of this mess?"

"That's the reason I need you people there. While you were at the hospital waiting for Colonel O'Neill's release, I had an unsigned communiqué arrive by courier that informed me that Colonel Mayhew is not the man whom we think he is. I asked the Sergeant here to make some further inquiries and received confirmation of his duplicity just under an hour before you returned. Colonel O'Neill is aware of this." Hammond checked his watch. "At this moment there are several teams on their way to the cabin, but they're not expected to arrive until at least an hour behind the Colonel, that's why I'm relying on you two to watch his back."

"Then we will take our leave General Hammond and be assured that we will fulfil our obligations," Teal'c stated meaningfully. He would not let his commander down.

Receiving a nod of approval, Daniel and Teal'c grabbed their equipment and hurried out to the Dodge. It didn't take them long to set off along the road in pursuit of their friend and team-leader.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack pulled over into a deserted camp site several miles away from his cabin and which was well hidden from the road. He picked up the back-pack and routed through it smiling, pleased to see exactly what the General had given him in the way of ordnance. Armed now with weapons, ammunition, Zat gun, vest and his black combat gear, he quickly changed and then slipped his coat over the top, hiding the equipment from prying eyes.

Making sure that everything was in place, he locked the truck and set out on foot, slinging the back-pack over his shoulders as he went. The last thing he wanted to do, was to alert everyone of his arrival. His intent was to take them all by surprise, hopefully minimising the risk of getting Sam and him wounded or possibly, killed. Besides he wanted to take the bastard alive so he could at least discover the reasons behind this personal campaign of hostilities against him. There were a whole lot of questions he wanted to ask, and he was determined to have them answered.

He knew the trails through the forest like the back of his hand; which ones to follow and the ones to avoid. He'd spent endless holidays up here, running wild through these very forests, fishing, hunting and going on scavenger hunts with a friend or two he'd been able to invite to his grandfather's cabin in the wilderness. Here's where he'd learned a lot of his skills, putting them to good use later in life when he'd served in Black-Ops. He moved through the trees silently, steadying his heartbeat against the real fear of finding Sam's battered and possibly lifeless body once he'd reached his destination.

He forcefully pushed that thought from his mind and made himself believe he was working on a secret mission to free some unknown but important prisoner, because he knew it was the only way to get the job done. If he allowed himself to think of Sam, it could well distract him from his task and that could prove fatal to both of them.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam had lost count of the number of times she'd woken from a drug filled sleep to find herself still a prisoner; and each time she'd woken it was to see a different place. She blinked slowly, remembering that if she took her time waking, the nausea wasn't quite so bad to deal with. She had no idea exactly what drugs they were feeding her, but it was always the same on waking; a headache the size of Alaska, nausea, and a raging thirst.

Blinking up at the ceiling, it slowly came into focus. Wood. The ceiling above her was of a wooden construction and looked vaguely familiar. Her brain was sluggish and it took some time to make her head move slightly so that she could take in the wooden walls. The bedroom furniture was well used and looked hand-crafted but in a professional way, and in keeping with the rest of the decor.

While she was still processing the new information, the door opened and Colonel Mayhew walked in, smiling. In his hand he held a small tray of food and a mug of something hot. Sam knew it was hot because it had steam curling up from the rim of the cup.

"Ah, I see you are finally awake Major Carter. That's good. How are you feeling?" Mayhew placed the tray onto the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to feel her forehead with the back of his hand.

Sam frowned up at him in confusion, but Mayhew smiled.

"What? Where am I?" Sam tried to push herself up but felt as weak as over-cooked spaghetti.

"You're sick. Don't you recall the journey up here to the cabin?" At Sam's look of utter surprise, his grin widened. "Colonel O'Neill will be here soon, he'll be pleased to see you're doing okay now. He was so worried about you, ya know."

"He was? Is?" Sam tried hard to recall anything beyond the drug filled stupor she was experiencing. Her eyes widened when everything finally slipped into place. The crash. The abduction. The men coming in and forcing drugs into her. Being sick. "You... I've been rescued?" she was incredulous. How had Jack managed to get her to his cabin – for now she recognised it was his pride and joy – without her having to stay in the infirmary. Janet had actually had allowed him to bring her here? Like this? How?

"Of course! Don't you recall anything? Maybe I should let the nurse take another look at you?" He went to rise off the bed but Sam's yell stopped him half way.

"No!" her response came out quick and harsh, shocking even herself. She tried to cover it by smiling reassuringly. "No, I'll be fine. I'm okay, thank you. You say Jack's coming here? That he's okay?"

"He's fine! As I said, he should be here soon. I brought you some hot tea and a couple of slices of toast. Do you feel up to eating them? I'm sure the Colonel would be happier knowing that you'd at least tried to eat something."

Although Sam's stomach rebelled at the thought of food, she knew that she probably hadn't eaten in days, or for however long she'd been away, making her feel bad. She sat up with a little help and waited for the dizzy spell, from being upright again, to abate. After a moment or two, Mayhew handed her the tray and made sure she ate the food and drank the tea, while he explained her rescue and the reason she was there in the cabin during the winter.

Feeling tired again Sam yawned and blinked, fighting off the need to sleep. She so wanted to see Jack when he arrived back, but fatigue overwhelmed her and she fell into a deep sleep.

Mayhew smiled none too pleasantly and removed the tray, pulling her lax body down under the covers once more. Arriving in the kitchen he quickly washed the evidence away, then dried the mug and plate before putting them away again so it would look as if they hadn't been touched.

The main door opened and the boss walked in, coming right up to him and whispering so that he wouldn't be overheard.

"She asleep again?"

"Yeah, it worked. I'm pretty sure she believed that stupid rescue story too."

"Good. Any word from your men yet?"

"Nothing so far," Mayhew shrugged, unmoved by his role in the deception being played out for this sick guy's benefit. "Stop worrying, as soon as they spot O'Neill's truck heading this way they'll let me know. Then he's all yours. I've done my dirty work for you. I don't owe you anything anymore! Got it? Next time you want something like this done you can get your own hands dirty."

"You're not thinking of quitting on me are you Mayhew? I have enough evidence on you to put you away for years."

Mayhew growled and stepped right into the man's personal space, pushing his face directly into his opponents, and shoving his finger into the other man's chest with as much venom as he could muster.

"Don't push your luck with me buster! I could still back out and report you to the authorities. They'd have you behind bars quicker than you could salute! And don't think you can do away with me either. My team have orders to report this to General Hammond if I don't check in with them every so often! That's my little fail-safe measure."

"You're in no position to threaten me Mayhew," he sneered calmly. "...and you'd do well to remember that. Now find out if there's any sign of O'Neill. It's getting late. He should have been here by now!"

"Yes sir!" Mayhew snapped sharply, giving him a text-book salute, before retreating into the bitterly cold wind blowing around the cabin. His footsteps were crunching in the thick layer of snow on the ground as he walked away without a backward glance.

OoOoOoOoO

"Zac!" Mayhew spoke softly into his radio. He was hiding in the woods to the front of the cabin, where he could merge with the lengthening shadows as the evening quickly approached and await O'Neill's arrival.

"Zac?"

"I'm here."

"Any sign of O'Neill yet?"

"Nothing! Not a soul out here sir. This place is as quiet as the grave!" Zac looked down at the road winding its way around the trees. From his hiding place he could see quite clearly that the road was deserted.

Mayhew swore. What the hell was keeping the man? he wondered.

"Are you sure you didn't just miss him?" Mayhew hissed, unhappy about the delay.

"No, I did not miss him...Sir!" Zac growled back, stung by the thinly veiled accusation. He'd much rather be indoors and not out here playing look-out for some madman he'd never even met. "I haven't taken my eyes off the road all the time I've been here!" he added with irritation. He was cold, hungry and now he was angry too. And what the hell was his team-leader doing anyway? All he was doing was following orders, just like the rest of the team.

"Call me as soon as you spot him!" Mayhew flipped the switch ending the conversation. He then called another member of his team.

Zac sighed, annoyed with the way he was being used for Mayhew's little game, whatever it was; and he really didn't like the sound of the boss whoever he was, using them like this without telling them why . As far as he and his colleagues could make out he was the one pulling Mayhew's strings... Suddenly alert to movement beyond the trees, he trained his night goggles onto the road to see if it was O'Neill's truck.

The noise grew louder and he tensed, watching closely. Just as the vehicle rounded the bend, he let drop the hand holding the radio. It was then he felt a heavy shock run through him and he was surrounded by a strange blue glow. It felt like he'd touched a live wire and try as he might he couldn't think beyond the pain enveloping him. Finally he fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Jack waited where he was, hardly daring to breathe. Hearing no other signs of movements after several seconds had passed, he moved in to secure his unmoving prisoner.

Having tied the young Lieutenant's hands behind his back, as well as tying his feet, Jack grunted from the effort when he lifted the still body from the snowy forest floor. He carried him several yards to a sheltered spot, dropping him down and sitting him up against the tree where he proceeded to tie him in place, while making a mental note of exactly where he had placed him, making retrieval later on easier.

Satisfied that the man would be safe for now, he took off to hunt down the next person on his list of four that made up Mayhew and his team. Once they were out of the way, he could go after the real villain of the piece and then hopefully he'd find his wife alive and well.

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks,_

_With a nick-nack paddy-whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

_I'm really sorry to keep you all hanging on for so long, but RL hasn't exactly been conducive to my writing. For a start the whole family went down with the flu, then we had workmen in to fit new windows – so there we were all freezing our butts off, and afterwards going down with colds...again! To top that my muse decided it would take a hike, hence the delay in posting this. Sorry!_

_Thanks as always, of course, for your support and your reviews – keep 'em coming - as you know I really love to read your comments. Hope you enjoy this little light-hearted chapter before the angsty finale to come._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:- _

Satisfied that the man would be safe for now, he took off to hunt down the next person on his list of four that made up Mayhew and his team. Once they were out of the way, he could go after the real villain of the piece and then hopefully find his wife alive and well.

Chapter 28

_This old man, he played six,_

_He played nick-nack with my sticks,_

_With a nick-nack paddy-whack,_

_Give the dog a bone,_

_This old man came rolling home._

Jack had already stuffed the soldier's weapon and the, now silent radio in his backpack, leaving the man with no way of letting the others know that he was around before he had a chance to reach the cabin. Unless, of course, the young man was able to escape, but he doubted that would happen. His one wish now was that he would have the opportunity to disable the others before the alarm was raised.

With a lot of luck and a little bit of guesswork, Jack was able to find the other two junior officers without much of a problem. They literally didn't know what had hit them, never having felt the power of a Zat gun before, and Jack had made sure they'd never seen it coming. The second victim to fall under the Colonel's power had been Lieutenant Hamlyn, and then he'd taken down Major Robson.

Jack had to shake his head at the sorry sight before him. Not one of these people were used to coming up against a Black Ops trained operative. He'd tied them all up and taken away their weapons and radios just as he had done with Lt. Masters. Now all he had to do was find Mayhew and whoever else was up here waiting for him. Then and only then, he knew he could face his nemesis without too much difficulty.

To say it had been a huge shock to discover that Miriam was actually married was an understatement worthy of Teal'c – the Jaffa was a damn master at it - but Hammond had obtained the necessary proof, so there was no denying it. The thing that shocked him more though was the man who was officially his brother-in-law. It beggared beyond belief. What the hell was wrong with him? he wondered, chewing over the past events. Had being head over ears in love, dulled his wits? Had that acute spidery sense he'd relied on for all these years finally let him down? Or was that rat bastard just damn good at deception and intrigue?

With another shake of his head, he pushed all that to the back of his mind and concentrated on finding the last person on his shopping list. Mayhew. The man was obviously in league with Miriam and - her other half. He was so not going to call him a brother in any way, shape or form! He only had one aim now, and that was to get to Sam and take down that sonovabitch, whatever it took.

He crept ever closer to the cabin, approaching it from the side so that he could watch both accesses for any sign of movement. At this point he had no idea who or how many were in there waiting for him. Logically, if Mayhew was still inside, then he knew he was outnumbered at least two to one should he decide to just charge in there. There was no doubt in his mind that he could take Mayhew and that rat out, no problem; but he was worried about Sam. He couldn't possibly know where in the cabin they had her; all the lights were on but the drapes were pulled making it impossible to tell what was happening inside. Thus, taking that route, he could be putting her in harm's way.

Reluctantly, and despite the nagging urgency of needing to get to her quickly, he decided to play tactics. He was good at tactics and, surprisingly enough, had the patience of a saint when it came down to it. The problem was... Did he have the time to wait it out? There was always that fear in the back of his mind that, should he not turn up as expected, they might just kill Sam anyway. He had no way of knowing what they had planned.

After squatting on the ground behind a bush for a minute or two, deliberating his next move, Jack caught sight of a brief glare of light away to his right. He smiled, thanking the man upstairs for literally shedding a little light on the problem; for this little tell-tale flicker marked his next opponent. Someone was hiding out front, but they had given themselves away by lighting up a cigarette. He peered across the open space through the night goggles, so graciously supplied by his first victim. It was indeed Mayhew.

Jack crept forward, keeping low behind the bushes surrounding his yard, before stopping at the edge of the small lake, now frozen over. Digging into his bag, he pulled out the specially prepared snack and unwrapped it, scattering the contents onto the driveway a few yards to his left, then he cupped his hands round his mouth and let out a very realistic turkey gobble.

Mayhew's head shot up when he heard what actually sounded like a damn turkey, and it was quite close at that. It was too dark for him to see much, and most of the trees surrounding him were firs laden down with the snow and ice, making the task harder. Out of nowhere there came a slight fluttering of wings and something very big and unexpected shot out from the dark heading straight for him. He leapt out of the way, landing face down in a pile of snow, and colliding with the base of a tree. For his reward he had ended up being buried in the white stuff too when the shaken tree relieved itself of its snowy covering.

Jack watched with a smile and at the point when Mayhew had to get out of the way and then get half buried, though he was too far away at that point to take full advantage of the situation, he did move towards his prey. He covered the short distance to the other side of his dock and under the cover of the trees.

Being as one with his little neck of the woods, he'd become knowledgeable and quite friendly with some of the local wildlife. He'd spent many an hour with his grandfather stalking prey, and in particular, wild turkeys, in amongst the trees. Not to kill anything but to learn their ways and their calls; as well as learning what things he could eat and which to avoid. And he knew there were several turkeys lurking nearby, because whenever he came up here he would always scatter some seeds for them, so Jack had left his fine feathered friend a tasty treat as a reward for helping him.

He'd already decided he'd have to take Mayhew by hand, there was no other option. If he used a Zat, then whoever was in the cabin was sure to hear it, and again, it could prove a fatal error on his part for Sam. He drew ever nearer to his quarry, and then waited, keeping well hidden; moving on only when Mayhew wasn't looking. He stopped again and took out several small stones he taken from the loose gravel of the driveway and now threw one against the tree nearest to Mayhew. As the rogue Colonel spun round and peered through the darkness Jack crept up even closer.

There was a crackle of static and Mayhew held the radio up to his face.

"Any word from your team yet Mayhew? It's getting late. He should have been here hours ago!" The voice coming out of the radio sounded tense and impatient.

"I know that. I'll give them another call, but they would have radioed me if they'd seen him coming." Mayhew growled back.

Luckily for Jack, Mayhew turned his back to him as he began trying to reach his team; it was then Jack made his move. He knew exactly where to hit the man on the back of the neck with the butt of his weapon in order to take him down, rendering him unconscious for at least several minutes. Enough time though to truss him up like the proverbial Thanksgiving turkey, and not at all like the one who'd helped him out. He finished off the job with a strip of wide duct tape to prevent Mayhew from calling out a warning. Jack stowed away yet another weapon and the radio and headed back to the side of the cabin where he left his bag inside the tiny outbuilding which housed his few tools and a wood-pile.

That done he backed up through the trees and out onto a part of the driveway that was hidden from view and began his planned walk back to the cabin; his feet crunching noisily on the snowy gravel of the drive clearly announcing to anyone within hearing distance of his impending arrival. Pausing only for a moment to take a deep breath and to grin inwardly as something funny popped into his head, he stepped up onto the veranda and entered his second home as casually as he could.

He'd known all along that there was a distinct possibility that it was a trap, Hammond had suspected it too, but it didn't deter him in the least. Sam was in there and there was no way he was going to let her down. It had been made absolutely clear that he was the intended target, so therefore it stood to reason that he would not allow anyone else to get hurt in his place. It was a given thing; he knew that, and so did the General. More so apparent was that the damn rat bastard was expecting him, and so now he was here to face whatever fate threw at him, and feeling much better about it because without Mayhew and his team, the odds were stacked more in his favour. He hoped!

OoOoOoOoO

Teal'c, a few steps in the lead, held out a hand to stop Daniel's forward momentum so he crouched down to hide behind a bush, wondering what his team-mate had seen and why they'd had to stop suddenly.

"O'Neill has been this way Daniel Jackson."

"He has? How can you tell?" Daniel whispered, raising an eyebrow in surprise. He knew Teal'c's tracking was good, but how could he tell one set of footprints in the snow from any other?

Teal'c stood up, his posture relaxed, and when he stepped aside, there was a slight grin tugging at the corner of his lips. He swept a hand towards the evidence.

"It is most obvious Daniel Jackson."

Daniel hadn't missed the slightly dry statement and when his eyes followed the hand gesture he felt a grin forming on his own lips. Teal'c was right; Jack had definitely been this way.

They approached one of Jack's victims and checked to see if he was breathing normally, knowing that there was no way Jack would have killed any of them. No, it was more likely that they had been zatted or knocked out. As soon as Teal'c placed his fingers under the young Lieutenant's chin, the man roused and jerked back into alertness, staring up at the two members of SG-1.

"Remain calm and no harm will befall you Lieutenant Masters."

Zac looked up at the alien, fear clearly seen behind his eyes in the light from the torch, but Daniel squatted down beside the man and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay. Nobody's going to hurt you, okay?"

With no other choice, Zac had to nod and place himself at the mercy of these men. He watched Daniel smile then stand up and take a few paces to his right before turning his back on him and lifting the radio to his mouth.

"Hello, Dexter calling Papa Bear. Come in please!" Daniel sighed inwardly, he still couldn't see the point of all these stupid code names, but Teal'c and General Hammond had been quite adamant about it, just in case anyone other than the team was listening in too. It still smarted being referred to as Dexter; from his own extremely limited viewing of children's TV - mainly because Jack had insisted he watched it occasionally to keep up with the younger generations – Dexter was a cartoon character genius with a big head and impossibly huge blue eyes behind black rimmed glasses. He just couldn't figure out the character with whom General Hammond was supposedly connected to, although he did find Jack's pseudonym quite amusing.

"Papa Bear here. What have you got for me Dexter?"

"Um...It seems that Red Riding Hood has dropped a few..._things_ on her way to see Goldilocks."

"Okay Dexter, we'll arrange for someone to pick them up. I presume Wile E Coyote can find her in the dark to help her out if necessary?"

"That's not a problem Papa Bear." For a genius, even Daniel was having to concentrate very hard on remembering just which character went with each of their names. Several times he had just managed to stop himself adding a 'Sir' or 'General' to the end of his comments like he always remembered to do back at the SGC out of courtesy. He pinched the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses in the process, where he could feel a headache coming on already from just trying to get his mind round it all. God! If Jack survived all of this he was so gonna kill him!

"Okay, thank you and good luck Dexter. I hope your _experiment_ works out for you. Papa Bear out!"

Daniel released the button on the radio and placed it back into his pocket. If Mayhew or whoever, was listening in, he could only hope they'd be as confused as he was after that.

With a broad sweep of his hand he gestured for Teal'c to take the lead once more, to bring them closer to their goal.

"Lead on Wile E Coyote!"

_This old man, he played seven..._

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

_I'm down on my knees here, begging for your forgiveness! I really am sorry to have kept you all waiting for so long for this chapter. RL is being such a pain in the mikta lately! I think even my computer keyboard thought I'd abandoned it! _

_Still, I hope this chapter makes up for all the storyless days, and that you enjoy this latest update._

_I'm sure you'll all be relieved to finally discover who it is behind all of Jack's unfortunate mishaps, and a part of the real reason for it. Thanks again as always for all those lovely reviews you sent my way, and I'll try not to keep you hanging around for too long before posting the last chapter._

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

With a broad sweep of his hand he gestured for Teal'c to take the lead once more, bringing them closer to their goal.

"Lead on Wile E Coyote!"

Chapter 29

_This old man, he played seven..._

On the way to Jack's cabin, Teal'c and Daniel found two more members of Mayhew's team and then, on nearing their rendezvous, they found a trussed up and furious Mayhew, who looked as if he was about to burst a blood vessel without much more effort, as he tried to free himself from his bonds. Daniel couldn't help but grin at Jack's handiwork now that they'd found all of Mayhew's gang tied up so tightly, and efficiently gagged by some good strong duct tape.

Both he and Teal'c now knew without a doubt that Jack was inside the cabin and that they would have to remain alert for every sound. He stepped out of earshot and keyed the radio to pass on the information to Papa Bear. Papa Bear, in return, reported that he, Thumbelina and her team, as well as General Custer and his troops were now well on their way to Toy Town in time for the fireworks display.

Daniel's mind boggled at hearing all the coded names once again and he mentally pushed away the nagging headache that had started in earnest just as soon as he'd switched off the radio.

"They're on their way Wile E, we should move into position."

Teal'c nodded and they both moved off as silently as they could to take up their prearranged places.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack pushed open the door after pausing for a moment to listen in on Daniel's conversation with General Hammond through the ear piece. He smiled to himself, knowing how much Daniel was probably hating all the covert call signs.

He'd already pulled the tiny com link from his ear and tucked it down underneath his collar to hide it from his nemesis as he readied himself to expect the unexpected. With a quick glance through the slight gap from the hinges on the door he made sure that there was nobody waiting for him to make his entrance and jump him as he entered.

It was a much used and over-rated ploy to leap out on someone as soon as they'd entered a room. It never ceased to amaze him how so many people still used that move. He did admit to himself to using it on the Jaffa off-world and other odd aliens they had encountered, but that was only because they'd seemingly never encountered that tactic before.

Standing there, silently observing the room, he wondered what sort of traps had been set for him. The most obvious one would be where he would find Sam and rush to her aid, and get shot for his trouble. As it happened, this was no movie or TV series though; this was the real thing, and he wasn't about to start playing the fool for anyone. He hadn't lived this long without learning a thing or two during his time in Black Ops.

The cabin didn't really look any different from when he'd last used it. There was the little odd item out of place here and there, but he wouldn't have thought that anyone had been up here – apart from the lamps being lit and the blazing fire in the hearth that was.

A log shifted and settled as the flames devoured it, sending a shower of orange sparks up the big stone chimney and casting a bright flicker of light that danced about in the semi-darkened room. He moved into the living area and closed the door behind him with a pronounced click as the latch caught. His eyes, adjusting easily to the shadows in the room, gauged each dark space in his mind as if it were able to hide an assailant or not. Nothing stirred and the room was as quiet as a graveyard except for the continuing crackle of burning pine wood as it blazed in the hearth.

The obvious choice, he contemplated would be for Sam to be held in the main bedroom. He risked calling out to her, knowing as he did that whoever was waiting for him to appear could have already killed him where he stood.

"Sam?" His voice wasn't loud by any standard, but he knew she would have heard him if she was okay. He listened hard for any reaction or sound at all, but nothing was forthcoming. Moving further into the room and towards the back where the bedrooms were situated, he felt the tension rise inside him and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled in apprehension.

He walked cautiously, stopping every now and then to take stock of the situation. He wasn't sure if he should feel relieved that nothing had happened so far, or more worried that the lack of confrontation signified that Sam was in far more danger than he'd previously thought, and he really didn't want to contemplate the other alternative; that she was already dead and the bastard was just waiting for him to open the door so that he could shoot him to kingdom come too.

By now he had reached the main bedroom door and just pressed an ear to the wood, eager to hear something, at least some small noise that would give him reassurance that Sam was in there and very much alive. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he opened the door wide, ready to leap aside in the hope of avoiding whatever was waiting for him.

To his surprise, he saw Sam lying in the bed. As far as he could tell, she looked as if she was sleeping, but that could mean either she was drugged or that she had been knocked out at some stage. He had to admit that she didn't look as if she'd been assaulted recently, and he did expect to find some evidence of a struggle or whatever had happened when she had been taken. Taking a closer look now, he could plainly see she had a slight purple/yellow tinge to the skin of her temple from an older bruise, but thankfully, the blankets covering her rose and fell steadily in an even rhythm. Breathing a soft sigh of welcome relief, he called out to her again.

"Hey, sleepyhead! Don't I at least get a greeting?"

Sam slept on confirming his hypothesis that she had more than likely been drugged. Normally at the sound of his voice she would immediately sit up, and mumble a 'yessir' in an automatic response. Something he'd teased her about quite often when they were at home.

He looked around the room, but didn't find anybody lying in wait for him, so he crossed the open space and sat down on the edge of the bed; his hand reaching out to brush the wayward blonde bangs from her forehead, and winced in empathy at the size of the bruising there.

There was a slight reaction, a murmur of a whisper; his name.

He called her again as he ran his hand over her cheek in a gentle caress.

"Jack?" Her words were slurred and so soft that he had to listen hard. "What took you so long?"

Jack's lips pressed hard together in a straight line, holding back the traumatic reality of his tardiness. He'd have been here a lot sooner if Miriam hadn't turned psycho on him and put him in the hospital. Again. And a hell of a lot quicker if he hadn't had to go after Mayhew and his team first. It was something he had to do or the odds would have been stacked against him.

But then, who knows when he would have discovered where his beloved Sam had been secreted away if his sister had remained in full faculty of her senses? No, that wasn't right; it had all been building up to this, so all he had to do now was to stay one jump ahead of the other maniac; because the guy had to be completely crazy to try all this. Anyone had to be at least three fries short of a happy meal to marry Miriam in the first place, he concluded with a rub of his lightly stubbled chin.

He checked around the room again and could see nothing to indicate they were being monitored or watched so he surreptitiously sneaked something out from inside his coat and slipped it under the covers of the bed, making sure that Sam's hand was resting on it. Being the dutiful soldier that he knew she was, she would know what to do with it when it came. He leaned down and placed a kiss to her cheek, and his action brought forth a smile from her.

"I'm here now Sam," he whispered into her ear. "Wake up for me Honey!"

Sam dragged a weary eye open and blearily watched him wink as he pressed her hand firmly against the weapon he'd placed into the bed for her to use. Her eyes widened a little in confusion at first, then narrowed in understanding before she smiled, blinked, and closed her eyes again; feigning sleep while in reality her brain was busy trying to wake up and work out what exactly was happening.

Jack sat there for several minutes, just drinking in her presence. How the hell could he have thought that she had left him? Abandoned him after such a short time together, and especially after all those years of waiting? He felt a deep sadness fall over him as he studied her soft features. He guessed the bruise came from when she'd wrecked the car, but he still didn't know what had happened back then; like, how all her things had disappeared from the house by the morning after failing to come home from work that night. He was sure that whatever had gone on at that time would have a proper explanation to account for it all, and he was desperate to learn the full facts about this whole sordid affair; even though it would never negate the depth of his shame at mistrusting her.

His hand automatically reached out to her again, and he slid one of his long fingers down her cheek so gently that it hardly disturbed her.

His own mixed thoughts about her, and how much he loved her, had distracted him a little from the business at hand, so he almost missed the soft sound of footsteps as they approached the bedroom. He did miss the slight sneer of derision as the person stopped in the doorway, his weapon trained straight at the back of Jack's head.

"How very touching, I'm sure. What kept you? You should have been here hours ago!" the assassin growled.

Jack was far too well trained to let his assailant know that he had startled him even for a brief second, so he stayed where he was, keeping his gaze on Sam the whole time, which he knew would annoy the hell out of the sneaky bastard.

"Well, you know how it is," Jack shrugged. "I took a little detour, met a few friends along the way. I was kinda wondering when exactly you'd show up." Finally Jack turned to face the man who was, in legality by marriage, a close relation. "Ya know, that whole thing..." he sighed waving nonchalantly at the hand gun directed at his head. "...that is such a cliché!"

"Don't push it Jack. Miriam warned me that you always were a pain in the neck."

"I was a kid brother, it's what we did!" Jack retorted, turning round slightly to sit facing the man, his hands hanging loosely between his knees, giving the air of relaxed indifference. "Older sisters were always fair game."

"And you went too far. You've pushed her right over the edge this time Jack and I can't allow you to get away with that. Not any more."

"So, what? You just gonna shoot me?" Jack snorted derisively. "I hate to actually point this out to you, but you've already tried that, or at least your unfortunate, woebegone playmates have! I'm still here though... but then, you already knew that didn't ya! That's why you're here." Jack blew out a protracted sigh and looked down at his hands, turning them over, inspecting his nails, and making a big show at looking really bored.

"You are such a bastard O'Neill. I didn't want to listen to Miriam at first, but it wasn't until after..." he broke off, swallowing hard, and when Jack glanced up, he could see his nemesis was struggling to maintain his equilibrium. The man swallowed harshly again, and then continued, "God, I hated you so much back then. I wanted to kill you so badly, but by then we just didn't know where you were. It took me years to finally trace you to Colorado Springs. So here we are, and I can finally put an end to the nightmare that has haunted Miriam and I for years."

For the life of him Jack still didn't understand what that nightmare was. It had to be something he'd obviously done in the dim and distant past, but that didn't mean he recalled anything particularly distressing to her. He fixed his dark eyes onto the rather strange abject figure, because that's what he thought he was – sad and pathetic – and waited for more information to be forthcoming.

He waited in vain so he sighed with a mixture of frustration and resignation, before prompting for that elusive answer.

"Yeah, ya know, I get that bit, Miriam and I never did see eye to eye, but what I really want to know before you actually get around to firing that thing, is, are you actually gonna tell me what I'm supposed to have done? Apart from upsetting my so called sister, and I use that term loosely, just what did I do to deserve this cat and mouse game of life and death until now? What's changed?"

After several minutes went by, and Jack had almost given up hope of knowing why he had suffered so much already and was now about to die, the silence was at last broken.

"Okay. I'll tell you, though Miriam should have been here too to enjoy your final moments and share in what would have been our victory, but thanks to you again Jack, I've probably seen the last of my wife for a very long time. I'd been looking forward to joining her in our own home and once more being able to live together knowing we'd put the painful past behind us with your death."

Jack listened, his head slightly tilted to one side, though he was still unsure what had caused the problem in the first place, but, he waited as patiently as he could for the man to continue.

"Do you recall when you used to coach hockey for the kids?"

Jack nodded. Yes, he remembered that time. He used to gather all the kids in the street and take them to the local ice rink and teach them hockey. The kids loved it because it was fun, and he always treated them to a hot drink afterwards. Those were the good days, long before the Gulf war, and even before Sara and Charlie had came along. He was single and carefree, had a promising career in the Air Force of which he'd always dreamed of having, and plenty of money and spare time to treat the less well off kids in the neighbourhood when he was home on leave.

Jack's reminiscences were interrupted as the would-be assailant continued to explain what had led them to this point.

"So, you remember Billy Ray? Tommy? Ricky? Glenn...?"

"Steve, Johnny, Jake, Luke. Yeah. And there were others too," Jack confirmed, warily.

"Jimmy? Do you remember Jimmy?"

A smile spread over Jack's lips. How could he forget little Jimmy? He was a great hockey player; a natural wonder. Jack thought he would go far, but although he knew most of the great hockey players over the later years, Jimmy's name was never amongst them.

"Yeah, he was a good kid. He had a promising career as a pro if I recall properly." It was then that Jack's brain decided to kick in, and he knew that Jimmy was somehow tied in with what was happening to him now. He frowned and narrowed his eyes at his former friend.

"This is all about Jimmy isn't it?"

Gene nodded his face angrier than Jack had ever seen before. Jack sat up straighter, expecting to hear something he'd rather not but knew there was no way he could escape from it, whatever it was.

"What happened to him?"

"He looked up to you. You were his idol Jack. He worshipped the ground you walked on. He'd do anything for you wouldn't he? You talked to him about what life was like as a pilot and he was so damn besotted with you and your ideals, that when he was old enough he enlisted into the Air Force too. He wanted to be so like you – you, the damn hero in his eyes. All he ever spoke about for years was what you did. It was 'Jack this' and 'Jack that'... Then along came the war."

Gene paused, choking back his heartache of many years before he continued.

"He gained his wings and there was no stopping him. A few weeks into the war and his plane was shot down. He and his co-pilot ejected, but his chute never opened. Yeah, Jimmy was a hero, just like you. If you hadn't filled his head with so much of that damn macho hero crap, he would have been making a name for himself in the hockey arena, but no, he had to follow in your footsteps. You were responsible for his death Jack. You killed him, just as surely as if you'd pulled the trigger on your gun when Charlie died. This was your fault and now you're gonna pay the price."

Jack had listened with increasing horror and regret to the story as it unfolded. He knew Jimmy had liked him, even to the point of driving him nuts with his constant questions, but he was a likeable kid and one of only a few of the kids that stood a chance of making it into the big time leagues. He couldn't have known the full extent of his influence over the boy, and the truth of it had come as one hell of a shock. Jimmy's untimely and, what must have been a terribly frightening, death was now weighing heavily on his shoulders, just as Charlie's death always had.

'_Sometimes I can forget, but I can never forgive myself.' _He could still hear those words as he'd spoken them to Daniel that day, and it was still true. Only now he was responsible for the death of another child – youngster. Was he destined to be haunted by this for the rest of his life? But, what was he thinking of...? If Gene had his way, today was to be his last on this earth; at least, on this plane of existence as Daniel would put it.

He looked up at Gene's wretched face and saw the deep pain of loss, as well as the bitter anger of accusation, and all he could do was feel a profound regret fill his heart and soul. He hadn't felt this bad since that unforgettable day when a single gunshot shattered his world. Maybe he did deserve to die. That thought though was dismissed as soon as it occurred in his mind. He'd saved the world on several occasions, was this his just reward?

Gene watched the mixed emotions play over Jack's face, before he'd dropped his head into his hands in remembered pain of his loss. When Gene had observed Jack in silence for a moment, he spoke again, and took great satisfaction in seeing the deep shock of realisation hit Jack square on, rather like the shock wave from a bomb blast.

"That's right Jack! Jimmy was my son, and Miriam's too. And you took him away from us! Now you're gonna pay for what you've done!"

_This old man, he played seven,_

_He played nick-nack with my heaven..._

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

_I really am sorry to have kept everybody waiting for this, but it's here at last! The __**FINAL CHAPTER**_

_That's if I can actually get it to load!_

_RL has been a real pain lately and it's not just my update that's suffered. I've barely put my fingers on the keyboard for anything! Not even for my e-mails. However, I hope you all enjoy the finale, and it's a really long one so grab a snack and lock the door! Thank you all for being so patient with me over the past year it has taken to write this story. I hope it was worth the wait!_

**THIS OLD MAN.**

By LetitiaRichards.

_Previously:-_

"That's right Jack! Jimmy was my son, and Miriam's too. And you took him away from us! Now you're gonna pay for what you've done!"

Chapter 30

_This old man, he played seven,_

_He played nick-nack with my heaven..._

"What? That's impossible. Miriam always said she couldn't have any kids." Jack's face screwed up in puzzlement, wondering who between the two of them was lying.

"Yes, it's true, she did say that," Gene reassured him, but then shattered Jack's long standing illusion by continuing. "You were away, oversees somewhere, at that time, and Miriam never told anyone that she was pregnant, not even your Mom and Dad. She went away to have the baby, our son, but as far as your family knew she was working in Chicago. Your ol' man never liked me from the get go, but that didn't stop us. We met up while she was there, and were married at a small chapel I knew of in Cicero, where the pastor there was an old friend of the family." Here, Gene paused, almost lost in his memories, but he snapped out of them and continued.

"It wasn't an easy birth, and Miriam very nearly died; she got some sort of infection, I can't recall what they called it, but afterwards they told her that she'd never be able to carry another child. She'd informed everyone all about it without revealing the whole truth of that statement. We stayed with an old friend of hers until the baby was coming and then we went to a private clinic. After she'd fully recovered, she returned home while I looked after Jimmy."

Jack tilted his head slightly and furrowed his brow, wondering if Gene was just making this up as he went along, because this didn't sound at all like his sister, but then, she was just plain crazy now, so...?

"I can see you don't believe me Jack, but you're gonna have to trust me, it's all real. Just take a look at the city records and you'll see its all true. I moved nearby a short time later so that we could see each other and she could see Jimmy but he didn't know she was your sister, or that you were his uncle. But," he shrugged exaggeratedly. "there again, it doesn't matter whether you believe me or not, because you're not gonna be around long enough to check up on all the facts, are you?"

Gene finished his explanation with a smug sneer watching as Jack attempted to sort through the pretty astonishing revelation about his sister. Her being married for one, let alone having a child. A child whom he'd liked so much and had treated him almost like a... He was half afraid to admit that Jimmy had almost felt like a son to him; Charlie had been his own son and look how that had turned out! Now it seemed that Jimmy too hadn't escaped the O'Neill jinx either. Apparently Jack seemed to have this uncanny ability to get on well with all kids and become attached to them; only they would somehow end up dying, and ripping his heart out in the process.

A case in point being Re'tou Charlie; even he hadn't escaped unscathed, handing him over to Jacob to be snaked of all things; something he would never have wanted for himself in a million years. Had he been selfish for wanting the kid to live? This thought brought him right back to the present with the revelation about Jimmy. He'd been totally unaware that Jimmy was, in fact, his own nephew.

So, maybe he didn't really know Miriam after all? He just couldn't believe, or get over the fact, that she would have handed her own son over to his father and gone back home to look after Mom without revealing anything to anyone? What kind of a woman was she? Well, obviously completely insane if the last 48 hours were anything to go by!

Jack, his heart heavy with regrets and paying no heed to the fact that there was a loaded weapon trained on him, jerked to his feet and wandered over to the small fire burning in the hearth, heating the room. He stooped down, ignoring the slight twinge from his bruised shoulder and tender knees, to place another thick log onto the fire and then stood up again. His dark eyes were riveted to the mesmerising flickering flames as he fought an inner struggle, trying to deal with the undeniable mess going round in his head at this point.

All was quiet in the room for some time before he turned his body and his attention back towards Gene.

"Okay," he began, resigned to whatever was coming. "I can understand the...pain you must have gone through losing Jimmy. I so know what that feels like, and I'm truly sorry for that, really. But... why all the horse-play? Why not just shoot me and be done with it? Why put me for one, let alone Sam, or for that matter my friends through all of those failed attempts? Was that some kind of sick retribution for the fact that Miriam is now a raving lunatic?"

Gene glared dangerously at his victim. There was a hardness glinting in those dark eyes. He tried to calm himself from reacting out of sheer hatred for the man who had, in his eyes, ruined his life. His hand shook as he fought against the urge to pull the trigger, but he wanted Jack to know everything before he finally killed him.

"She wasn't always like that," he growled defensively. "Miriam was sweet, and patient, biding her time, but your Mother took too long to die and she grew restless after Jimmy died, needing to escape. But she had promised to look after the old woman, and she never shirked her responsibilities. Unlike her younger brother." Gene was growing more and more agitated, and his words grew angrier and more bitter, while his breath quickened into gasps as he hung on to his sanity by his fingertips.

"I didn't have a choice," Jack threw back just as tersely. "I was out of the country most of the time. Miriam knew that, and she was quite happy with the arrangements. In fact it was she who kicked me out of the house, telling me never to return. She was the one who returned my letters to Mom unopened and refused to let me speak to her when I phoned." Jack was really irritated now. There was no way he was to blame for Miriam's frustrations; this had been brought on by the stunningly stupid arrangements between themselves. Why hadn't she told Mom about the baby? He was sure his Mom would have loved the chance to have had another grandson, especially as she had lost Charlie... But... then she would have lost two grandchildren, so maybe it was for the best that she didn't know; it would probably have killed her, he reflected with a deep pain filled sigh. "Then there was that little matter of her telling me Mom had died! Why did she do that? Was it all part of your sick little plan too?"

"She wanted to hurt you, as much as losing Jimmy had hurt her. That's why she allowed Daniel to take her to your wedding, so that you would bond with her again. That way her death would be all the more painful to you; just as hurtful as Jimmy's had been to us."

Gene paused for a moment to watch the scattered painful emotions flicker over Jack's features. There was pain, guilt, and regret mixed with anger and frustration for his easy acceptance of the situation. The corner of Gene's lip curled upwards as he saw how Jack now regretted his decision to leave it all to Miriam; how he'd simply acknowledged his Mother's inaccessibility and moved on with his life without ever challenging his rights as her son to see her for even one visit after Charlie had died.

Jack swallowed the lump that had suddenly obstructed his throat, his voice sounding strained and raw when he spoke.

"So, tell me, why the song and dance? Why not just end this all right here? You've had plenty of opportunities lately, even now. Go on... Shoot!" he yelled, but Gene merely shook his head, biding his time, despite the longing to comply with Jack's wishes and shoot him.

"Do you remember Jimmy's favourite song?"

Taken aback at the abrupt change of topic, Jack nodded, wondering where this diverse line of conversation was leading. And just how could he forget it? Jimmy had whistled or hummed it all the time and it had driven him nuts.

"Good I see you do," Gene grimaced. "Great; that means you'll understand things. Well, we literally took it and applied it to you Jack. Every damn verse! Just think about it for a moment!" Gene sneered disdainfully while Jack mentally ran through it in his head, and Gene watched for the full realisation when it dawned on his victim.

_...This old man, he played one,_

_He played nick-nack on my drum... _Bun? No, it had to be something worse than that...Gun... His gun... He had been shot. That's when this all started.

_Two_._.. he played nick-nack on my shoe..._ Stew Brew! He'd been poisoned with the beer. Damnit!

_...he played three..._ Tree?Knee? Knees! His knees had been cut to pieces with sharp gravel after having been beaten with a baseball bat or whatever it was.

_...four…door..._ Oh yeah, the door of his Truck. He'd shut it, triggering a damn bomb. On his wedding day of all things. Yeah, great memory to cherish over the years... If he survived that was.

_Now...five... hive? _...life?Sam. She'd gone... somehow...? Agh! His wife! They'd been playing with him, Sam knew nothing about it, yet she had been used against him. God! They'd played him for a fool too!

_...six...sticks... _Hockey stick! His old hockey stick, to be precise. Miriam had almost... had beaten him senseless with it, and he still had the bruises to prove it!

_And then...seven...heaven... _The finale?His death? So it would seem, hence the showdown here and now.

Jack closed his eyes and unconsciously straightened himself up, pulling his hand away from the mantelshelf where he'd been leaning on it and had felt the welcome warmth in opposition to the coldness filling his heart right now with the full realisation of what had been happening to him lately... and sadly the reason why. God help him.

"So, what kind of hold did you have over those other guys, huh?" Jack asked. He wasn't stupid; neither Gene nor Miriam had the guts or the wherewithal to set those things up, and he knew Mayhew and others were involved.

Gene saw what he wanted to see reflected in Jack's haunted eyes. He could also see that Jack wasn't afraid to die either. He held the gun steady now, well aware that the final moment had arrived at long last. Victory was in sight.

Jack's eyes tracked towards the bed, seeing Sam lying there so peacefully, her tousled blonde hair sticking out from the covers. With one long lingering, and maybe his last look he silently blessed her for all the unconditional love she had given him over the last several years of his life, then slowly turned back to face Gene.

"So," Jack sighed with a wide shrug, his hands spread out, showing he was neither armed nor bothered by the prospect of meeting his maker. He'd faced death so many times, and had actually died several more times than he'd cared to remember, and revived too by that most annoying of all Goa'uld, Ba'al. No sarcophagus here though...

"So," Gene replied, a smug grin creasing his face as he straightened his arm, bringing Jack's chest into the target area, aiming straight for the heart with his pistol.

There was a slight noise from somewhere behind Gene which startled him just as he pulled on the trigger, but he still managed to fire several times. The noise of gunshots in the room was deafening, making anyone in proximity wince in pain.

Jack had been jolted backwards by the forceful impacts, letting out a sudden startled pain-filled gasp before he lay crumpled and insensate on the floor, just as Sam had sat up screaming his name in fear of what she'd just seen. The end of the hand-gun Jack had given her was still smoking in the aftermath of being fired in quick succession.

Chaos was blossoming all around her when Daniel and Teal'c had stormed into the room mere seconds after she'd fired her weapon, their own Zat guns whining as they both fired on Gene simultaneously.

Gene lay motionless on the floor, three bloody bullet holes putting a swift end to his embittered and vengeful life, as did the double helping of Zat blasts, intentional or not. There would be no doubt about it; Gene Thomas was dead, and Teal'c regretfully restrained himself from firing again. The man had more than deserved to die for all he had put his warrior brother and his wife through.

Daniel holstered his Zat and hurried over to help Sam, as she struggled uselessly to get to Jack, whose chest and arm was covered in blood and, to her eyes, was lying far too still for the man she knew and loved. Teal'c gave Gene a mandatory check just to see if there was any sign of life in the man, despite knowing it was a lost cause. His fingers confirmed that there was no pulse, so he removed the spent weapon from Gene's lax hand and headed over to check on O'Neill. Hiding in the hallway and also outside the window, both Teal'c and Daniel had heard every word, thanks to Jack's hidden microphone, and had attacked just a fraction too late, and now Jack had been wounded...again.

Sam was sobbing so hard she barely heard Daniel trying to talk to her. He had his hands full in comforting her and attempting to calm her enough to explain how things were not as bad as they first appeared, but he couldn't get a word in edgeways, as she struggled weakly to get to Jack.

Moments later Papa Bear...er...General Hammond, walked into the chaos showing grave concern, closely followed by Thumbelina...em... Janet Fraiser and her medical team. She made straight for the Colonel just as he was rousing. A curse flew from his lips as he felt the bite of a bullet that had buried itself deep in his flesh.

"Ow! Crap! I always knew we should have had sleeves on these damn things!" Jack cursed, biting his bottom lip to hold back another groan of pain as he looked down at the damage done to his arm. Blood was flowing freely but he knew that now the Doc had arrived he'd be fine.

Trying to focus on something else instead of what Janet was doing, he could hear loud, almost hysterical sobbing, and tried to sit up to see Sam knowing it was coming from her, but the impact of the other two bullets against the Kevlar vest dead centre of his chest was quite painful and he gasped in agony and let his head fall back to the floor with a thud.

"Doc?"

"Just a minute Colonel." Teal'c and Janet helped sit him up and removed the cumbersome vest which had saved his life. There were two huge bruises appearing from the impact but other than that no bullets had actually pierced the bullet-proof garment. "You're going to be sore for a while Colonel, but I'm thinking that's better than being dead, don't you agree sir?"

"That it is Doctor," agreed General Hammond who had come over to make sure his 2IC was still among the living, as per the idea of supplying him with the appropriate clothing.

"You okay son?" Hammond enquired, placing a warm hand onto Jack's uninjured shoulder and giving it a little pat as Jack gave a nod in confirmation.

"I'm fine sir. And thank you."

"That's not a problem Jack. Glad to see you put the contents of the bag to good use."

Jack was about to comment further but instead sucked in a huge hiss when Janet cleaned the messy bullet wound on his arm.

"Sorry sir."

"It's okay...just do what you have to Doc," he growled through gritted teeth.

She did, by placing a sterile dressing onto the bullet wound, having stopped the bleeding. Jack assumed that it had happened when Gene had jerked the gun when he'd fired just as the cavalry had arrived. Good job he had been wearing the vest he sighed with relief. Looking up into Janet's face expectantly as she finished the hard part, he asked.

"So Doc...I'm gonna live?"

"That you are Colonel, but that will need surgery, and soon!" she replied slipping his wounded limb into a sling to hold the arm steady and immobile.

While Janet had worked on Jack, several other people had entered the room and lifted Gene's dead body onto a stretcher and removed it from the room.

Jack nodded to the Doctor and waved her fussing away and then, between one of the SF's and Teal'c, they hauled him to his shaky feet, where it took him several minutes to regain his balance. And much to his chagrin, Janet forced him to sit on the end of the bed, not that he would have admit to needing the support in the first place, but she knew him well enough by now, and expected he was still weak from the beating he'd had not so long ago, and now this. So Jack dutifully sat down on the end of the bed and called out to his wife, shooing the other helpers away.

"Sam! Sam, it's okay. I'm right here!"

The tear streaked face that was buried into Daniel's shoulder looked up in confusion.

"Jack?" Her eyes widened with surprise at seeing him sitting there sporting the biggest grin in all the world. "Jack!" she cried, lurching away from her friend and practically throwing herself into Jack's arms, until she saw the sling and his bloodied shirt. "Are you okay? My god, I thought

he'd killed you. I thought I was too late!" Sam was running her hands over his face, chest and down his good arm as if she was looking for more bullet wounds, but could only find the still livid bruises he'd received a couple of days ago. She'd have to ask how he'd gotten them but not now; she was too happy to see him alive.

"Hey!" Jack crooned, stopping her actions by cupping her face in his working palm. "I'm fine. He just got lucky and clipped the arm. I was wearing a vest so I'm okay. Are you alright Sam? You looked so totally out of it, and I wasn't sure if you were awake enough to understand what was going on?" He dropped light kisses onto her head as he brought her closer and she'd buried her face into his good shoulder.

"I'm okay, but what happened to you?" Sam gasped, looking up at him earnestly, appalled by the battered state of her husband.

Jack shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but the wince it caused had Sam wondering if it was just physical or perhaps something deeper; she could see it in his eyes; something was bothering him.

Hammond coughed and everyone in the room discreetly took off to the kitchen to make some coffee and report the incident to the local police, giving the couple some privacy for a short while.

"It's a long story, and I promise I'll explain it all to you...later."

"You promise?" Sam frowned, giving him a sense that he should beware of failing for fear of the outcome.

"Of course Sam. Just as long as you tell me what happened to you too!" Jack paused, looking down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes for a moment, weighed down as he was with guilt for thinking the worst. "I'm sorry..." He'd started to apologise, but their time alone was quickly coming to an end.

"What? Why? I'm still a little confused. I didn't know what to believe at first. I was so damn stupid!"

"None of that matters now! It's over Sam," he sighed thankfully, pulling her closer again. "Let's just try to forget this and live our lives together as we intended, huh? That's what you want isn't it?" he asked, looking down into her upturned face.

"More than anything Jack. I love you so much, and I'm sorry I doubted your...um... well, you know. I should have known better than to jump to conclusions. I'm sorry."

Jack could feel a headache coming on, because he didn't have a clue what Sam was referring to.

"Jack...I don't know what to say. I was so... And..." Her words stopped mid flow because she could see the confusion in Jack's eyes. "Actually...I have no idea what you need my forgiveness for?"

Jack cringed inwardly, knowing that he would have to make it up to Sam, just as she had obviously felt that something she had done needed absolution from him too. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and kiss away the pain and confusion he could now see reflected back at him, but right now, he was in real pain as his arm throbbed mercilessly and admitting to himself that he really needed something to ease his discomfort there, and in his head. It had been one hell of a few days!

"Uh...Can we do this another time?" he pleaded, unable to hide the wince of pain as he moved, trying to find a more comfortable position.

Sam nodded, tears leaking down her cheeks again as she recalled how close he had come to dying so many times, and nodded to him that she was okay with leaving things there until later. Perhaps they would be better able to discuss and understand each other when he was feeling a little better again.

She buried her head into his good shoulder again and hugged him tightly, while he slipped his arm around her shoulders a little tighter, and hung onto her too, using her to lean on when he began to feel a little woozy. He dropped a kiss on to the top of her head and stayed there, unable and unwilling to move; besides which he was luxuriating in the smell and feel of her against him once more, knowing that things could only improve from now on. All this messy business was finally over; the demons had literally been laid to rest so they could live together in comparative peace from now on.

Just then, Janet bustled into the room, all businesslike and began ordering her team to get busy. Outside Jack could now hear a helicopter as it landed nearby, and then Sam was taken from his embrace, wrapped in several blankets, and helped out of the cabin to get into the waiting transport. He too, was bundled up and supported enough to be able to walk outside and climb aboard the helicopter, without too much fuss, and readied for the flight back to Cheyenne Mountain and the promised surgery.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack lay back, resting against the pillows on the bed in the small private room attached to the infirmary beneath NORAD, in the bowels of the earth that hid the SGC from the public. Sam was snuggled up beside him, her long legs stretched out along the top of the bedclothes. Daniel and Teal'c were there too, standing by the bed nearest to Sam while Janet and General Hammond stood across from them next to Jack.

Sam had practically leapt off the bed when the General entered the room, but he insisted she stay where she was, perhaps because of the very nature of what he was about to divulge was going to be a little hard for the patient to hear. Not that she minded in the least; she just wanted to be as close as possible to Jack after all they had been through, and it wasn't as if they were on duty, let alone actually married. The General could be such a teddy bear when he wanted to be less formal, and they couldn't get more informal than they were now...not without getting thrown off the base at any rate!

Jack and Sam had already held their private little chat about what had occurred that fateful night, and how it had profoundly affected them, each believing the very worst of the other. Only because of the love they had felt for all those years before all of this, forgiveness was relatively easy. Now that it was out of the way they felt even closer, knowing without a doubt that their commitment would be all the stronger from the ordeal they'd been put through.

All of those in that room were now listening intently to General Hammond as he spoke with concern. They'd tried to add their comments or asked questions whenever they felt it was necessary, but were waived off until he'd said his piece. Hammond was doing his best to give them all the facts that he, and a new team from AFOSI; a team that had been drafted to replace Mayhew and his crew - who were now languishing in a holding cell awaiting trial - had gathered together to make sense of the past events. It had taken a very long and tiresome week to gather and collate at least a months worth of work, but now he'd felt reasonably confident that he had all the necessary information to put Jack's, as well as his team's, minds at rest.

Sam could feel Jack tense up with each new fact as the General explained it, and was now sure that was why the senior officer had permitted her to remain where she was. This way she could keep Jack grounded and gave him something to help him over what had to be a painful process.

"So, let me get this straight," Jack growled in disbelief, thinking that some more of Janet's happy juice would take away the growing headache he was getting from listening to the whole outlandish story. "Gene and Miriam had this huge grudge against me, which I so know about. They dragged in members of an old AF team to carry out a series of attacks, in the hope that they would injure, rather than kill me outright, and all because he had a little blackmail thing going over their participation in an undercover raid?" Hammond nodded but refrained from making any comment while Jack tried to sort through things.

"And they were told that if they did this, they would finally be free from their debt?" Jack couldn't believe how convoluted this whole thing had been, and how incredibly stupid those men had been too. "And they believed him?" Jack was clearly shocked that they'd been so easily taken in. Everybody knew they should never give in to a blackmailer in the first place. Having done so, the odds were that whomever it was doing the dirty on them would never give up on trying to extract money to stay quiet. "So what exactly did they do in this raid, or whatever it was?" Jack seemed to deflate after that, and not because he was feeling the headache pinch, but because there was nothing to add to the incredulity of it all. He was just left feeling totally drained.

"It all happened back in the early 80's apparently." Hammond picked up the story again now that Jack was happy to allow him to finish. "It was a top secret undercover mission to assassinate three Nicaraguan drug lords who'd had set up a cartel between them. They were supposed to attend a special emergency meeting because a row had developed over how an illegal shipment of drugs was to be dealt with, because the local government was waging a tougher war on their illegal exports. The mission report says the whole thing was a huge success. They broke up the meeting and several of the higher ranking members had been killed or imprisoned for their crimes. The Team were awarded some of our top medals for bravery, but they weren't exactly honest about the amount of drugs they'd confiscated and handed over to the government in their reports."

Here, Hammond paused to frown down at Jack, who had the grace to look slightly abashed over lying in his report at one time too. The report concerning that first mission through the Stargate; the one that the General had 'coerced' him into rescinding in order to prevent a bomb being sent through to Abydos.

There had been a lot of water under the proverbial bridge over the past six years, but Hammond had obviously remembered it well enough, despite the fact that Jack knew he had been forgiven for that minor indiscretion a long time ago. He'd never lied, or even stretched the truth to the General since, believing him to be one of the best COs he'd ever served under and he deserved nothing except total honesty from him and those who worked at the SGC. With a slight grimace at the reminder, he turned his attention back to what the General was saying.

"The men had decided to keep a few thousand dollars worth of the class A drugs for themselves. They smuggled the drugs back into this country in the hopes of paying off a certain police officer so that he would drop the charges he'd brought on one of the team members. It appears that one of the team got himself so drunk in the aftermath of a previous mission gone bad that he had badly assaulted the traffic cop who had pulled him over; the injuries had put the officer in the hospital for four weeks. Apparently Gene had overheard them talking about it on base one night, and unknown to them, had recorded the conversation, blackmailing them into keeping him quiet and not revealing the truth. He also blackmailed the police officer for accepting the bribe of illegal drugs in exchange for dropping the assault charges. He stated that if anything were to happen to him, someone he knew and trusted had every detail, including taped conversations, filed away on computer disc. His instructions were to send it to the press on his death, shopping them all. That police officer had been promoted several times over the passing years, and would have an awful lot to lose had someone talked."

Hammond paused to look around at the shocked but saddened faces lost in their own thoughts about the futility of it all. He did smile slightly at the next piece of news though, knowing how much it would please them.

"Before I leave you though, I'm sure you've all heard the shocking news about Senator Kinsey's running mate being arrested for illegal drug dealing?"

Eyebrows shot up and then smiles lit their faces; Hammond hadn't been disappointed by their reactions.

"I thought you'd enjoy that piece of news. It's just a pity that the Senator himself couldn't join him." Again Hammond's eyes pinned Jack with the knowledge that he was indebted to him for the sake of that little disc sitting locked in a safe place. They exchanged brief nods and Hammond then called a halt to the gathering, dismissing the others so that Jack could be left on his own with his wife.

Hammond paused at the door, looking back at the happy couple. He could see they still desperately needed time to talk over what had happened, so he decided his news could wait at least a little while longer. He smiled and closed the door behind him, giving orders to the medical staff that the patient and his wife were to be left alone unless Dr. Fraiser gave them the necessary permission to enter the room.

OoOoOoOoO

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I would never have left you, you know that don't you!"

"I know, but I wasn't thinking straight. What with Miriam arriving and telling me that Mom had died... My mind was all over the place. I'm so sorry, Sam! I should have known that you would never do anything like that. Not without speaking your mind first, at any rate." He grinned down at her as she lay snuggled up to him on the bed.

"And you know that I wasn't thinking straight either. I know how much you love me, but I just couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. It wasn't until after I got kidnapped, that things started to fall into place...eventually, that is."

"So now we got that off our chests. I have something to tell you," Jack stated with a wide grin.

"You have? What?" asked Sam, sitting up, but still holding on to him like she never wanted to let go. Ever!

"I love you Mrs. O'Neill!"

Sam giggled, and rose up higher to kiss her husband deeply and passionately, getting carried away. It had seemed like a lifetime ago since they spent the night together. Not that they could do anything here in the infirmary, and not while Jack was recovering from getting shot at. Sam laid her hand over his heart and gazed lovingly up into those wonderful, dark eyes of his.

"I love you too Jack." She closed her eyes and snuggled against him again, loving the feel of his arm as it slipped round her, pulling her closer. "Do you forgive me?"

"Only if you can forgive me too Sam!" he murmured into her ear, making her shudder and moan when his warm breath tickled that sweet, tantalising, erogenous spot on her neck. She felt like purring under his touch, and lifted her head to smile goofily up at him, before she nibbled at his throat making him groan with longing. Two could play at that game.

"So we're quits then?" he asked, his voice nearly an octave higher than normal. He coughed to clear his throat, testing it to see if he could sound normal under the circumstances.

"Sure!" Sam sighed happily, seeing that certain look on Jack's face. "Touché!" she mumbled as she snuggled up once more. She'd got Jack back, so what else mattered right now?

OoOoOoOoO

"General. Doc." Jack greeted the two with a brief nod.

Janet smiled back, her face aglow for some reason they knew nothing about, and then turned to place some things onto the vacant chair before turning back to the others. Sam eyed her suspiciously.

"Sir?" Sam looked towards General Hammond, straightening up slightly, feeling that whatever their visit was about, was important to warrant their full attention.

"Colonel, Major," Hammond began. His face was all suspicious smiles too, Sam thought.

"I thought you would like to know what the joint chiefs have finally decided on regarding your situations here now that you are a married couple. Though, there is one thing I have to tell you first, but it's not been announced officially as yet, and I wanted you two to be the first ones to know... I'm...being promoted."

Both Sam and Jack sat up to attention now, and Sam slipped off the bed to stand beside it, though still holding onto Jack's hand.

"That's great sir," they all cried, ready to congratulate him, but Hammond staved off their celebrations with a wave of his hands.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg Jack. Along with my extra star comes a long overdue reassignment." Three faces fell in consternation. "Actually they're not going to let me retire, so I'm off to Washington to take up a new post at the Pentagon." Once more he waived off their obvious questions before continuing. "There's more." Hammond took out the communiqué he'd received and unfolded it to read the exact words, skipping straight to the important parts.

"With regard to Colonel Jonathon (Jack) O'Neill... He is to be promoted forthwith to Brigadier General and will take over as commander of the SGC on General Hammond's reassignment. Major Samantha Carter will also be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel forthwith, and will take over as CO of SG-1. However, as this would still put her under General O'Neill's direct chain of command, we therefore propose that SG-1 will become a separate entity and answer only to Lt. General George Hammond at the Pentagon as Head of Homeworld Security, thus taking her out of General O'Neill's jurisdiction. We hope that you will find this a satisfactory solution to your problem and we wish you well in the future... signed General Joshua Lazenby. Joint Chief."

Jack was stunned. Promoted! He'd never, ever, seen himself becoming 'The Man!' Not in a million years! He was more than happy to hear that Hammond had been given a higher rank; and if anyone had earned it he had, for being such a great CO and putting up with him for the past six years. And then there was Sam who had been promoted too, and if she'd been overlooked in this at all, he would have put her up for it as his first order of the day as the new CO of the SGC. She so richly deserved it after all the hard work she'd done over the years, both on the base as the foremost expert on the Stargate, and while she'd been part of SG-1.

Yeah, SG-1. God, he was going to miss going off-world with Sam, Teal'c and Daniel. They were his family. His kids. But, time couldn't stand still and changes, as well as challenges, came and went whether he liked it or not, so he would just have to deal with it but he was sure going to miss George though. He had a slight moment of panic which set in with the thought of all that paperwork, but it would be worth it if he could still be a part of the SGC and get to see Sam whenever she was on home territory, as it were.

Hammond came up to the bed, and shook Jack's hand, congratulating him on his promotion, and Sam on hers. He told them both they had been long overdue for this and he was going to miss them, but not the trouble they always found themselves in. They returned the compliment and hoped that they wouldn't cause him too many problems as he sat in his plush executive office so far away, and that they were going to miss him too.

Hammond then stood to attention and saluted them, turned and walked from the room. Janet smiled while she took a few tests on her patient, knowing that things were going to change from now on. The one thing she was so not going to miss was having Jack O'Neill grace her infirmary. With his promotion to being the base's new CO, there was little or no chance of him being injured and ending up driving her staff crazy with his bad moods and constant whining. At least, she had yet to hear a General whine. Colonels yes, Generals? Well, she wasn't so sure about that, especially not if this one had anything to do with it. There was always a first time for everything she supposed, with a sigh.

Sam had waited for Janet to finish up before she hugged her husband; the one she would have to call General from now on. And what sounded even stranger was that they would have to call her Colonel O'Neill from now on, after years of calling Jack by that title, it would take some getting used to.

"Well, congratulations you two," Janet said, grinning at the pair of them. Neither looked anything like a General and a Colonel the way they were snuggled up together. "General Hammond's leaving party will be held in a few days time on Friday. Then Daniel and Teal'c have been arranging a promotion do for you 'General' for when you take over here on the following Monday. And then there's a smaller one on Tuesday for Sam too." Janet couldn't help but grin at their surprised faces; they hadn't been expecting that. "So, when you've quite finished 'General O'Neill' you may consider yourself dismissed from the infirmary, just so long as you go home and rest. Report to me on Friday morning sir, that way the General won't suspect anything if he sees you wandering around on that day."

"Sure. Okay, I get it. And Janet?"

Janet stopped flapping around getting things written down to organise his medication for when he left her care, to look over at him, unused to him calling her by name on base.

"Yes sir?" Oops, habit!

"Thanks!" Jack said softly, smiling up at her with heartfelt thanks. "For everything you've ever done for me. I know I'm not the best of patients, and for that I'm sorry, but I just wanted you to know I really do appreciate what you've had to do to patch me up in the past."

By this time Janet was feeling a little overcome with the sincerity in Jack's voice. There was no doubt about it, Jack had always been a bugbear when he'd been injured, but he was a damn fine officer and a good friend. He was just a pain in the ass because it was just the way he was; he really and truly hated being out of action and detested taking any form of medication, avoiding it if he could as he distrusted the effects over him. Jack could not abide the idea of being out of control with his thoughts and actions, which she could understand, knowing what drugs could do to a person.

Janet certainly hadn't expected any praise at all from this man, but now he'd said a whole cotton pickin' mouthful and she felt strangely touched by his words, spoken so softly yet in earnest. At that moment, Sam detached herself from her partner and went over to hug her, thanking her too for saving his life so many times lately. With tears prickling and threatening to break loose, Janet fled the room, needing to sort out her turbulent emotions, giving the excuse that she had to get his prescriptions sorted out before he left.

Jack pushed the blankets aside and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Sam handed him his clothes that Janet had already brought in when she'd entered with General Hammond. Sam helped him dress, and he slipped his feet into the sneakers Sam had retrieved from his old locker, clearing everything out of it for him and getting an airman to carry it up to the parking lot and putting it in the trunk. Being the new CO of the base meant he'd have a private washroom and locker to keep his things safe while he worked on site, so she'd taken on the task of clearing out his old locker for him.

The door opened a few minutes later and Daniel, Teal'c and Janet came in, faces aglow with happiness. Well, Teal'c was wearing a slight smile, which meant he was happy too. There was another round of congratulations and then Janet handed Sam a small bottle of pills, and ordered her to take him away, with the understanding that she didn't want to see their faces until Friday at the earliest. Daniel and Teal'c joined them as they rode the elevator up to the main entrance and to Sam's car, where they arranged to have a promotions celebration dinner at Janet's house on Thursday night so that Cassie could be there too.

Sam and Jack climbed into the car and bade farewell to their friends, happier now than they had ever been, now that there were no more threats to deal with. What had been the icing on the cake was the news that Janet had given them just after Jack had recovered from surgery on his arm. His Mother was now happily settled into her new home, and was feeling a lot better now that she'd stopped taking the medication that Miriam had been giving her. Apparently, Miriam had tampered with the prescriptions and the tablets she'd been giving her had worsened her condition, to the extent of actually causing a lot of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in the first place. Jack had been so angry about it, that Janet had feared for his health, but after a moment of pure hatred towards his sister, he had accepted his part in the whole regretful story, and could only nod his thanks for her telling him the truth. He was deeply relieved that his Mom was now feeling much happier, and that she was nearby and safe from future harm.

Sam stopped the car and turned towards him. He'd been miles away, and she'd given up trying to make conversation with him a while back.

"Jack?"

"Hmmm?"

"We're here!"

"Oh. Okay." Jack released his seat belt and tried to open the door. Sam was round there in an instant, helping him. It was then he finally looked up at the house.

Except it wasn't his house...it was his Mom's new home. It was a huge place, with seats on the veranda and along the lawn under the big window. There were flowers, roses and ornamental shrubs everywhere; great patches of vibrant colours brightening the whole place up, and the air heavy with their scent.

As he stood there wondering, his mind was taken back to where this all began; in his garden. That was when he first met Gene all those months ago. A year. It had all started a year ago. One whole year of nothing but anxiety for his friends, and mostly pain on his part.

Someone approached him, he felt their presence rather than saw them walk up to him.

"Jack?"

Jack looked round and smiled. He opened his arms, ignoring the sling and the pain the movement caused, and gathered in his Mother, hugging her while she clung to him. She sniffed back her tears; she'd missed him so much and couldn't understand why he'd never visited her back in Minnesota, though Daniel, that nice young man, had tried hard to explain everything to her, it was just too much to take in. He'd said that it was Miriam that had banned her son from the house, telling him never to return or write or call. She was upset over it all, but now that she was going to get to see Jack, and often too, it made up for Miriam's lies.

Sam sniffed back a few of her own tears at the sight, wiping her face with her hands, she joined in, bringing a smile of relief and joy to Jack's face, in what would become a regular and necessary family hug. He had everything he'd wanted. He'd married Sam; he even had his Mother back. Everything that was, except for Charlie, but then, maybe there was chance of being a father all over again. He'd have to put forward that thought to Sam sometime, but that was for the future, and right now he was just happy being in the present, alive, wanting to forget the ugly past. Just to be with them was great, and along with his friends he could be sure the future would be better.

_This old man, he played seven,_

_He played nick-nack with my heaven..._

Actually, Gene was right, Jack agreed silently, as he hugged the two most dearest women in his life; he couldn't ask for more, so as far as he was concerned...

He was already in heaven.

The End.


End file.
